Azerbaijani delegation leaves for Turkmenistan

The delegation will take part in the first session of the joint intergovernmental commission on cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey in the economic and humanitarian spheres.

The due information has been provided by the press service for Azerbaijan's embassy to Turkmenistan, which elaborated that the session of the intergovernmental commission is scheduled for today and will start in several hours.

The agenda includes a number of issues, including the issue of debts.

Upon the completion of the session, the sides will sign a protocol of the intergovernmental commission on cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan in the economic and humanitarian fields.

Azerbaijan recognizes its debt before Turkmenistan in the amount of $26.7 million, including $18.7 million of the remaining state debt for gas, received in 1993-1994 and $8 million are debts of the economic establishments. In turn, Turkmenistan insists that Azerbaijan has a debt of $56 million considering interest rates.

The issue of the state debt was discussed  in Baku on July 19 of 2007, when a delegation, composed of the senior officials and leading specialists of the Ministry of Economy, Ministry of finance, Central Bank of Turkmenistan and State Concern Turkmengaz arrived in Azerbaijan by instructions of the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguli Berdymukhamedov.

In June of the last year President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev ratified the staff of the intergovernmental commission between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan on cooperation in economic and social spheres from Azerbaijan.

The commission included Minister of Industry and Energy Natik Aliyev, first deputy Minister of Finance Ilgar Fatizade, deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov, deputy Minister of Economic Development Mikail Djabbarov, Deputy Minister of Transport Musa Panakhov, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Ilham Guliyev, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Adalyat Veliyev, Deputy Minister of Education Elmar Gasymov, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sport Intigam Babayev, chairmen of the State Customs Committee Aydyn Aliyev, State Committee for work with Azerbaijanis living abroad Nazim Ibragimov, SOCAR vice president for investments and marketing Elshad Nasibov, chief of the Azerbaijan State Railroads Arif Askerov, chief of the Azerbaijan State Caspian Shipping Company Ayduyn Bashirov.

/Day.Az/