BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 21
By Sadraddin Aghjayev - Trend:
The EU companies working in Azerbaijan are ready to continue investing in the Azerbaijani economy, Head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan Kestutis Jankauskas told Trend.
The EU is Azerbaijan's largest export and import market, accounting for 37 percent of Azerbaijan's total trade, Jankauskas said.
“Our energy and transport cooperation is well developed over the years, and has future potential,” the delegation head said.
“There are around 400 European companies working in Azerbaijan. The last EU-Azerbaijan Business Forum gathered close to 1000 participants. The EU companies working in Azerbaijan said that they are willing to invest in Azerbaijan again. They appreciate the establishment of ASAN Service, provision of other electronic services, improvements in the work of Customs and Migration services. However, over the years EU-Azerbaijan Business Climate Reports underline the need for substantive improvements in rule of law, access to finance and availability of skilled labor. The EU is eager and ready to help Azerbaijan to make necessary reforms in these areas,” Jankauskas stressed.
“We also believe that signing of a new comprehensive bilateral agreement between EU and Azerbaijan would help to further boost trade and attract more European investments into the country. The remaining open issues are exactly in the Trade chapter of that agreement. Accession of Azerbaijan to the World Trade Organization (WTO) would also help, as would the economic diversification, which the EU has been supporting and encouraging for many years,” the official said.
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