Today the director general of 'Russian Export Center' (REC), Peter Fradkov, was elected as the chairman of the Russian-Azerbaijani Business Council (RABC), created to promote the development of trade and economic relations between the two countries. A constituent session was held in the Chamber of Commerce. The objective of its creation is the expansion and development of business contacts and mutually beneficial cooperation between Russian and Azerbaijani entrepreneurs, promotion of Russian business in the markets of Azerbaijan and attraction of Azerbaijani investments to Russia.
At the meeting, Peter Fradkov expressed the opinion that Russian-Azerbaijani business relations have a large safety margin, but the potential is even greater: This potential is caused by the historical trade and economic relations, as well as the cooperation ties that existed before, and the entrepreneurial streak, which our colleagues and friends in Azerbaijan have. It will help to ensure that Azerbaijan may very well become one of our leading trading partners, both among neighboring countries and in general, bearing in mind those rates, at which the country is developing, bearing in mind those programs that the country carries out, programs of mid-term development."
Fradkov admitted that Azerbaijan has economic difficulties, just like many countries that have a certain share in the commodity economy. At the same time, he stated that a large number of companies have expressed interest in participation in the Business Council: "Those are companies in the financial and non-financial sectors, major banks, industrial companies, agricultural manufacturers, transport manufacturers, railway carriage building enterprises, structures of the innovation cluster, pharmaceutical companies, medical companies." All of this, according to Fradkov, provides grounds to believe that it is possible to build a well-working Business Council in terms of the structure of those projects that Russia and Azerbaijan will support and promote together.
Fradkov said that Moscow is a leader in terms of creation of such councils: "An agreement on the establishment of business councils was reached at the highest level, accordingly, Russian-Azerbaijani and Azerbaijani-Russian, but we are going in the lead, we have the right to show an example and demonstrate such an initiative."
Fradkov sees his task as the head of the Business Council for the Russian side in the fact that he must make the work of the Council as pragmatic and practical as possible. "I hope that in terms of organization of the Business Council, the work of the Business Council, we will be able to offer a new platform for the development of the Azerbaijani market on the one hand, and on the other – to search for partners for implementation of projects here."
