President Aliyev goes to Germany over ties, regional issues

According to diplomatic sources in Baku, the Azerbaijani president is expected to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other officials. The sides are expected to discuss ways to boost economic cooperation of the two countries, support by Germany for Azerbaijan's integration into Euro-Atlantic structures, including within the framework of EU's new neighbourhood policy, which Azerbaijan joined in November 2006.

The official Baku believes Germany has big possibilities in this respect, particularly after it has assumed the rotating EU chairmanship.

An Azerbaijani-German business forum will be held within the framework of the visit. Several economic agreements are to be signed on its results. Azerbaijan is counting on German investments in the oil sector of the country, the development of which is considered as one of priority directions in the government policy.

This is the second official visit by Ilham Aliyev to Germany as President of Azerbaijan. The first visit took place in August 2004. Besides, in September 2006, the Azerbaijani president made a short working trip to Germany, taking part in the International Bertelsmann Forum within its framework.

About 30 documents make up the contractual basis of relations between Azerbaijan and Germany. According to the Azerbaijani State Statistics Committee, trade between the two countries stood at about 413 million dollars in 2005, and the lion share of it (up to 404 million dollars) is imports from that European country. Itar-Tass