Samir Sharifov: Azerbaijani sovereign rating to be restored

Azerbaijan will gradually restore its sovereign rating, the country's finance minister, Samir Sharifov, said.

"Our rating will be gradually restored with the stabilization of the economic situation, the growth of revenues from the export and thanks to the positive results of the reforms that are being implemented under the supervision of the president," Trend cited Sharifov as saying.

Sharifov noted the downgrade of sovereign ratings by international ratings agencies affected not only Azerbaijan, but also other commodity-exporting countries.

"Naturally, the fall in oil prices, its negative impact on the economies of countries and reducing their revenues - all this, of course, has led to the rating's downgrade," the minister added.

Fitch Ratings assigned Azerbaijan's long-term foreign and local currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDR) as 'BB+', Standard & Poor's - at the level of BB+/B and Moody's Investors Service confirmed Azerbaijan's long-term issuer ratings and senior unsecured debt ratings at Ba1.