BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 16. Cooperation between
Azerbaijan and Bosnia and Herzegovina in energy can be extremely
fruitful, Sefik Dzaferovic, Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and
Herzegovina 2018-2022, Member of the Nizami Ganjavi International
Center, member of the national House of Peoples, told Trend.
He pointed out that President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Bosnia and
Herzegovina, as well as the signed declaration, is an extremely
important expression of firm commitment to cooperation and further
strengthening of our bilateral ties,
Dzaferovic noted that Bosnia and Herzegovina and Azerbaijan have
been known as friendly, brotherly countries since the establishment
of diplomatic relations, and in the past period we have made them
to be at an even higher level.
“I am convinced and wish that this trend will continue, to the
benefit of our people. The Balkans and the Caucasus are very
similar regions, and Bosnia and Herzegovina and Azerbaijan are
similar countries, which can understand each other well, and at the
same time we have something to offer each other. During the visit
of President Ilham Aliyev, special attention was paid to economic
cooperation. It was agreed to establish a joint economic
commission, as well as working groups in different sectors. On the
one hand, Bosnia and Herzegovina has knowledge and tradition when
it comes to industrial production, tourism is booming, there is a
huge space for the development of agriculture and transport
infrastructure,” added Dzaferovic.
He noted that Bosnia and Herzegovina is located in the immediate
neighborhood of the single European market.
“Also, in addition to the geographical position, we also have a
special political position, as a country that has the status of a
candidate for membership in the European Union. Azerbaijan is a
country, which has made a strong economic momentum, using its
energy resources in a smart way. In this sense, I see the
announcements as positive, there is a strong interest of Azerbaijan
in energy projects. As it was pointed out during the visit of
President Ilham Aliyev, the expectations are that our trade
exchange will increase in the coming period. Experience shows that
nurturing good political relations creates trust for economic
cooperation as well. The work of chambers of commerce has
exceptional potential in this sense, especially when it comes to
opening new connections between people and companies, which leads
to the recognition of business opportunities. It is very important
that the Foreign Trade Chamber of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the
Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Azerbaijan create the basis for
stronger cooperation,” said the former member of the Presidency of
Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Dzaferovic went on to add that in the newly emerging situation
in Europe, as in the whole world, the importance of energy
security, especially diversification in supply, has been
demonstrated.
“Bosnia and Herzegovina has exceptional potential when it comes
to hydropower and renewable sources, which represents a huge chance
for our economy. When it comes to energy, Azerbaijan is an
extremely recognizable and respected country, and I believe that
cooperation on such projects, through joint research, can be
extremely fruitful,” he concluded.
