Serbia, Azerbaijan sign agreement to boost cooperation

BELGRADE - The level of Serbia's political relations with Azerbaijan is high, but bilateral economic cooperation should be on par with it, Serbian Minister of Labour, Employment and Veteran and Social Affairs Nikola Selakovic said after the signing of a protocol on the conclusions of Friday's seventh session of a Serbia-Azerbaijan intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation.

"We discussed opportunities to deepen the cooperation and agreed that political relations are on a high level and that Azerbaijan is a sincere and loyal friend of Serbia, not just when it comes to kind words, but in terms of actions as well. Let me remind you that they firmly supported Serbia and respect of its integrity and sovereignty at the UN session when an admission of Kosovo was discussed," Selakovic said.

The protocol was signed by the two co-chairs of the committee, Selakovic and Azerbaijan's Minister of Labour and Social Protection of Population Sahil Babayev.

The two officials agreed that bilateral cooperation could be boosted further in many ways in the period to come, including by introducing direct flights between Belgrade and Baku.

Babayev said Serbia and Azerbaijan were not only friends but also strategic partners and that the partnership had begun many years ago and that it had been boosted by visits by the presidents of the two countries last year.

"Our two leaders have established close contact between the two countries and ensured that strategic partnership," Babayev said.

He also said bilateral political cooperation was very good, strong and successful and that he expected economic cooperation to develop further.