Türkiye proud to see Azerbaijani flag flying all over Karabakh, says VP

Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz has said Türkiye is proud that the flag of Azerbaijan flies on the whole territory of Karabakh.

Yilmaz made the remarks during an event called "Meeting of the Business World" on December 19, Report informs.

He said the biggest historical event in Azerbaijan in recent years was the liberation of Karabakh from (Armenian) occupation.

"We sincerely thank the Commander-in-Chief, President Ilham Aliyev and all those who contributed to this great victory. We wish repose to the souls of the martyrs who died in the name of this high goal. Now it is time to restore and revive these liberated lands. We will continue our cooperation at the highest level to make Karabakh a very strong and developed region. Our cooperation will continue, including all spheres from tourism to agriculture," Yılmaz said.

Yilmaz also said that Azerbaijan and Türkiye will switch to a simplified model of customs procedures as soon as necessary works are completed.

According to him, Türkiye and Azerbaijan contribute to the acceleration of these works.

"Simplification of customs procedures is extremely important for the development of trade. The two countries are working in this direction," Yilmaz added.

He also went on to say that Türkiye and Azerbaijan have established close ties: “We want more of our businessmen to come to Azerbaijan.”

As the official stressed, one of the obvious examples of the depth of bilateral relations is the frequent visits of officials of the two countries, including at the highest level.

"Over the past month, the presidents of Azerbaijan and Turkey have met three times. Our Trade minister will visit Azerbaijan tomorrow. The relations between our countries are an example for other states, including in the political sphere. We want these relations, which are developing under the motto "One nation, two states", to manifest themselves in the economic sphere, together with businessmen we will go even further," said Yilmaz.

According to him, the development of Turkish-Azerbaijani relations contributes to the prosperity of the entire Caucasus.

"We are working together to ensure that ties based on friendly relations take a multilateral form, including other fraternal countries," he added.

Moreover, the vice president said Twrkiye and Azerbaijan will continue to expand multifaceted cooperation within the framework of international platforms.

Yilmaz noted that the Turkic Investment Fund established within the framework of the Organisation of Turkic States is a very important area of cooperation.

"I believe that the business world will better appreciate these opportunities. The established fund will contribute to the economies of Turkic states by supporting the increase of trade and economic activities in the region."

Turkish companies working in the construction sector have implemented 517 projects in Azerbaijan.

According to him, the cost of these projects totalled $18 billion.

"We will further develop our cooperation in the field of construction," he added.

Further, continuing the event, Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan Cahit Bagci said he is working on the development of Turkish-Azerbaijani relations in all spheres.

He noted that Türkiye shares its experience with Azerbaijan.

"We are striving to reach the target of $15 billion bilateral trade set by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. In this context, our trade volume reached $6 billion in the first 10 months of 2023. Currently, we are the second largest trade partner of Azerbaijan," the ambassador added.

Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz is on a visit to Azerbaijan on December 19-20. He is expected to hold several meetings during the visit.

Baku is hosting an event called "Meeting of the Business World" with the participation of Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz.