UAE always supports Azerbaijan in Karabakh conflict

By Azernews

By Aygul Salmanova

Baku hosted an event dedicated to the 46th anniversary of the establishment of the United Arab Emirates on December 4.  

While making remarks at the event, the UAE ambassador to Azerbaijan Mohammed Ahmed Hamel Al Qubaisi noted the strong partnership relations that Azerbaijan and the UAE have.

"I would like to emphasize the friendly relations between the UAE and Azerbaijan,” the diplomat said. “Cooperation and mutual respect are based on these relations.”

"This year we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries," he said.

The ambassador added that the growing volumes of exchange between the UAE and Azerbaijan in such spheres as economy, tourism and culture, testify to the strong bilateral relations.

The number of tourists from the UAE to Azerbaijan reached 100,000 people in January-October 2017, he added.

"The UAE embassy in Azerbaijan established the Chamber of Commerce,” the ambassador said. “This year I have held two meetings of the Chamber of Commerce with the participation of approximately 40 trade partners and companies interested in increasing the trade index between our countries."

The event was further addressed by Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammad-Guliyev who noted that the UAE has always supported Azerbaijan's fair position in the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

“The UAE was among the first Muslim countries to recognize the independence of Azerbaijan, which was a significant support for the country,” he said.

Mammad-Guliyev added that cooperation between Azerbaijan and the UAE is developing in many areas.

He added that the two countries also successfully cooperate within international organizations.

“Azerbaijan attaches great importance to development of economic relations with the UAE,” he said. “The two countries have an economic commission. Its recent meeting was held in April.”

Mammad-Guliyev said Azerbaijan welcomes the participation of the UAE in transport projects of the country.

Moreover, he stressed that Etihad Airways will launch the UAE-Azerbaijan flights in March 2018.

The United Arab Emirates is one of the first states that recognized the independence Azerbaijan. Since that time the ties between the two countries have fruitfully developed in various spheres. The relationship became much closer after the Embassy of United Arab Emirates was opened in Baku in 2011.

The countries are members of and cooperating within significant international organizations, such as the United Nations Organization, Islamic Conference Organization and other influential regional and international organizations. UAE supports Azerbaijan with regard to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The two countries have also established the Joint Commission on Economic, Trade and Technical Cooperation and hold meetings and organize various business forums, their companies take part at the exhibitions both in the UAE and Azerbaijan.

The overall trade turnover between Azerbaijan and the UAE for the past two-three years amounted to approximately $70 million. Mainly Azerbaijan imports goods from the UAE, which are, in fact, re-exported from other countries. It is mostly metallurgical and chemical products, textiles, building materials, tobacco products, household equipment. Azerbaijan mainly exports to the UAE fruits, juices, nuts, metal semi-finished products and so on.