Baku and Berlin heading for cooperation

Today in Berlin a meeting of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who is in on official visit to Germany, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel was held, after which the politicians held a joint press conference.

Angela Merkel stressed the importance of cooperation with Azerbaijan to Germany, which is determined, firstly, by Azerbaijan's oil and gas reserves, and secondly, the interest of German companies in investing in the Azerbaijani economy.

"I am glad that the President of Azerbaijan is in Berlin today. The last time we met here was five years ago. Azerbaijan for us is a partner with growing importance. The Azerbaijani economy is showing very dynamic growth, and the country is important to us for two reasons. First, because of its oil and gas reserves. Secondly, Azerbaijan can be a partner to diversify its economy with the help of German and other European companies," the German Chancellor said.

"The German government actively supports the Southern Gas Corridor project, and this was also discussed today. We also discussed bilateral topics important to us, in particular the human rights situation in Azerbaijan," she explained.

In addition, Aliyev and Merkel also discussed foreign policy’s "sick points." "We also had a discussion about the geopolitical situation which Azerbaijan is in now. So, we have discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, to the resolution of which Germany wants to contribute. Perhaps here the European Union could come with its own initiative, and, I think, Azerbaijan will talk about it with the European Commission. We also talked about the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as well as about the binding of Azerbaijan to the EU's Eastern Partnership program," she recounted.