The recently appointed president of Dagestan, Magomedsalam Magomedov, has started on his first international tour. On Monday, May 24, he arrived in neighboring Azerbaijan on an official visit and held several meetings with Azerbaijani top officials and the president of the state. From the Dagestani standpoint it is barely possible to call Azerbaijan a foreign state. There are too many close links between the two states, including blood ties and cultural traditions. Therefore the choice of the first official trip of Magomedsalam Magomedov was made for a good reason. Along with the president, the head of the president's administration and government of Dagestan Gasan Idrisov, first deputy chairman of the foreign relations committee of the Federal Council Ilyas Umahanov, minister for national policy, religion and foreign relations of Dagestan, Bekmurza Bekmurzaev, minister for natural resources and ecology Shamil Magomedov, chairman of the Derbent municipal assembly Muras Gadjiev, and other officials arrived in Baku. Such a representative delegation was evidence of the
president's intention to establish close ties with the southern neighboring state.
The Dagestani delegation arrived in Baku in the first place to boost perspectives of joint economic activity. The reformation of the political relations in the region, carried out by Moscow, is aimed at increasing economic activity in Russia's Caucasus republics. It is obvious that the economic breakthrough, the creation of new jobs and promotion of social security of the North-Caucasus Federal District population is impossible in isolation from regional developments. Three hundred kilometers of state border between Russia and Azerbaijan run through the Dagestani region. Last year, more than two million people and 300 vehicles a day crossed the border. This year the border will be delimited and all controversial matters will be resolved.
Meanwhile turnover between Azerbaijan and Dagestan reached $202mln last year. According to the director of the Dagestani Agency of investments and foreign ties Ali Nurmagomedov, trans-border cooperation between Azerbaijan and Russia is a very important and perspective issue. However Makhachkala expects to correct a huge misbalance in the interstate trade. The figures show Azerbaijani export over import in trade relations with Dagestan. Last year, Azerbaijan imported from Dagestan goods amounting to $20mln but exports reached $182mln.
Entrepreneurs from both states implement joint investment projects and successfully cooperate in such spheres as agriculture and tourism, thus, without doubt, they are interested in the development of these ties. As it was pointed out at the meeting between Magomedov and Azerbaijani Premier Artur Rasizade, Dagestan considers the implementation of the Azerbaijani experience in the sphere of oil fields development to be very important. Economic relations have fallen behind the average performance of the increase in trade and the intergovernmental commission could coordinate efforts to provide boost to economic cooperation.
Azerbaijan is highly interested in developing the petroleum industry and has succeeded in this sphere in recent years. Meanwhile, foodstuffs constitute a substantial part of Azerbaijani exports to Dagestan.
The meeting between the two presidents was held in an informal atmosphere. The president of Dagestan noted that Russian-Azerbaijani relations, as well as friendly and fraternal ties between the two nations, have a long history. He has expressed confidence that these traditions will be continued by the future generations. Magomedov later visited the northern provinces of Azerbaijan. The experience of Azerbaijan in developing mountainous regions can be very useful for Dagestan, which is waiting for positive changes.
Alexander Krishtalev. Excusively for VK.
