The growing role of Azerbaijan on the world stage as serious economic partner is undoubtedly contributing to the increase of foreign investments and the volume of turnover. Azerbaijan which proved to be a reliable energy partner is confidently tapping into the world market with its non-oil products.

In the last year alone, Azerbaijan’s turnover with the world countries increased by 57% and reached $16,524.5 million according to the results of July 2018.

In particular, the turnover between Azerbaijan and the EU countries continues rising year by year. According to the Head of the Customs Committee of Azerbaijan Safar Mehdiyev, there has been an increase this year both in export and import operations between Azerbaijan and EU countries. According to the data of the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan, turnover between the EU and Azerbaijan reached almost 7 billion dollars over the last 7 months of 2018. Besides, export to the EU rose almost twice and totaled $5.5 billion compared with the same period of the last year. Import rose by 41% and reached up to $1.3 billion.

Italy has been Azerbaijan’s main trade partner among the EU countries for 10 years. Italy has got the leading position in export since 2008, except for the first 3 months when Turkey took the lead in January 2008 and then the USA in February-March. During these years, maintaining good bilateral economic relations, Italy remained a major trade partner of Azerbaijan and the first consumer in the energy sector. Other sectors are being considered as well. It should be noted that Italy is represented well enough also in the metallurgical sector of Azerbaijan. Italian products, in turn, are very valuable in Azerbaijan. It refers not only to usual sectors of the Italian export (fashion, furniture, food products) but also mechanics, engineering and technology.

According to the results of January-July 2018, this country accounted for over half of turnover with the EU states -$2.8 billion.

Germany is also playing an important role in the increase of Azerbaijan’s turnover with the EU. While Azerbaijan ensures supply of energy resources, Germany has been an important supplier of German techniques, technologies and, above all, vehicles. At the same time, Azerbaijan is the major trade partner of Germany in the South Caucasus.

According to the data of the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan, turnover between Azerbaijan and Germany totaled 805.35 mln AZN in January-July 2018. Germany’s share in the total turnover of Azerbaijan totaled 4.87%. With this indicator the country is in the top 5 external trade partners of Azerbaijan.

Recently, Germany has started expressing particular interest in economic cooperation with Azerbaijan. This was confirmed by a visit of the Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel to Azerbaijan in August of this year, which resulted in signing of many agreements about bilateral cooperation in the economic field.

To date, over 200 German companies are operating in the country. The size of German investments into the Azerbaijani economy totaled $496.6 million. German companies are actively implementing projects in Azerbaijan as subcontractors.

There are over 1,500 European companies operating in Azerbaijan. In the last five years, the EU countries invested over $15 billion into Azerbaijan’s economy. According to the Deputy Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Rufat Mammadov, Azerbaijan is a major energy partner of the EU and satisfies EU’s 5% oil demand. “To date, Azerbaijan has signed agreements about avoidance of double taxation with 24 countries of the EU, and treaties about investment promotion and protection with 17 countries. There are intergovernmental commissions working with 16 countries. In addition, we have already signed strategic partnership agreements with 9 EU countries”, Mammadov says.

There are particularly close economic relations, seen in high turnover and investment indicators, between Turkey and Azerbaijan. 

According to the data of the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan, the turnover between Azerbaijan and Turkey totaled $1.739 billion following the results of January-July 2018. It is 20% higher than the figure of the same period of the last year. Besides, the volume of export of the Azerbaijani products to Turkey totaled $857.6 million. The import of the Turkish goods made $881.8million.

Of course, the fact that Turkey exempted goods, supplied from the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (NAR), in October 2017 also contributed to the increase of this indicator. 43 product items (13 agricultural, 30 industrial goods) were included into the list, which was an important step towards the signing of the intergovernmental Azerbaijani-Turkish agreement on preferential trade.

Nevertheless, these figures do not reflect a real potential. As Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Turkey Khazar Ibragim assumes, economic relations and turnover indicator between Turkey and Azerbaijan are not high enough and do not justify the hopes. In his opinion, the volume of turnover between Azerbaijan and Turkey should be brought up to $5billion.

Till 2020, Azerbaijan is also planning to invest $20billion into the economy of Turkey. Today, investments made by Azerbaijani companies into Turkey’s economy constitute about $15 billion. The considerable part of these investments fall to the share of the energy sector and oil processing. In addition, the real estate sector in Turkey has been recently of interest to Azerbaijani investors. 

Turkish investments in Azerbaijan are focused in ICT, finance, insurance, extractive and food industry. Investments of the Turkish companies in Azerbaijan exceeded $12billion.

There are over 3,000 companies operating in Azerbaijan with the Turkish capital. The number of companies operating in Turkey with the Azerbaijani capital makes about 2,000.

Morocco also plans to increase goods turnover with Azerbaijan. According to the data of the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan, the turnover with Morocco totaled about $3.9 million at the end of 2017. In spite of this, the two governments are working on developing economic partnership and ensuring the turnover growth. There are many opportunities for Moroccan and Azerbaijani businessmen in both countries. Signing of the agreements both on the bilateral level and on the level of the joint bilateral committee will provide the business community with a legal base for the development of economic relations.

China is another country with which Azerbaijan has its trade relations growing each year. According to the data of the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan, the top three countries with the highest rate of import into Azerbaijan for January-July 2018 are as follows: the first place belongs to Russia ($917.1 million) which accounted for 15.88% of the Azerbaijani import. Turkey takes the second place ($881.8million) and China is the third ($586.4million). China accounts for 10.15% of import made into the country.

Turnover between Azerbaijan and China totaled $1,298 million in 2017. The volume of turnover increased by 33.16% last year and reached the highest historical rate. Export from Azerbaijan to China rose by 63.75% and totaled $443.8 million during the period under review. Import from China to Azerbaijan increased by 21.38% and totaled $854.5million. Thus, China became the fourth big trade partner of Azerbaijan in 2017.

The main export goods delivered from Azerbaijan to China are fuel, plastic and or plastic products, chemical products, wines, etc. Goods imported from China to Azerbaijan are mechanisms, electrical devices, equipments and their spare parts, vehicles and spare parts, clothes, ceramic goods, medical items, furniture, lighting appliances, household items, etc.

As far as Chinese investments in Azerbaijan are concerned, total investments of Chinese companies into Azerbaijan’s economy reached $770million early in 2018. Most of them were invested into the oil sector. At present, the proposal of the Chinese side to open an industrial park in our country is being studied. As the country gives priority to the development of the non-oil sector and delivery of qualitative products to the international markets under the “Made in Azerbaijan” brand, Azerbaijan is interested in exporting Agro-Industry products, including hazelnuts, mineral waters, processed products to the Chinese market.

Thus, Azerbaijan and China have all opportunities to expand economic cooperation and maintain the positive which was gained through years.

На мировом рынке азербайджанская нефть подешевела.

Как сообщает Caspian Energy Media со ссылкой на АЗЕРТАДЖ, цена барреля нефти марки Azeri Light, подешевев на 1,43 доллара или 1,56 проц, составила 90,29 доллара.

 Экономика решения вопроса статуса Каспия – подписание 12 августа в Актау президентами пяти прикаспийских стран Конвенции по статусу Каспия, говорит сама за себя. Каспийское море объединяет пять стран общим населением около 280 млн, это почти столько же, сколько проживает в регионе MENA (объединяет государства Ближнего Востока и Северной Африки) примерно 300 млн, что сравнимо с рынком Соединенных Штатов.

Геостратегическая важность Каспия  - центральное связующее звено между быстрорастущими экономиками Индии и Китая, регионом MENA  и самым крупным рынком в мире – ЕС. 

Сегодня, когда пересматриваются условия сложившейся после второй мировой войны системы торговых отношений ВТО на фоне нестабильного, потерявшего доверие инвесторов нефтяного рынка, инвестиционный рынок также находится в «подвешенном состоянии», поскольку профицит инвестирования развитых рынков с одной стороны и отсутствие стабильности на развивающихся рынках создают растущий высокий левередж неиспользованных инвестиционных возможностей, что в итогге может привести к новому  кризису мировой банковской системы. Кроме того инвестиционная неопределенность отношений Великобритании и ЕС после BREXIT (конечная дата 29 марта 2019 года), а также переход на «справедливую» двустороннюю систему торговли, разрушение трансатлантических и тихоокеанских торговых блоков (остановка переговоров по TTIP – США и ЕС  и распад TPP – 12 государств). Все это создает инвестиционную неопределенность на развитых рынках с одной стороны и предоставляет широкие возможности для бизнеса с другой. Поэтому Каспий с его человеческим, биологическим, энергетическим, геоэкономическим, транспортно-туристическим потенциалом, может уже в ближайшем будущем стать одним из  самых ликвидных инвестиционных рынков.

И этому будет способствовать подписанная 12 августа этого года в Казахстане долгожданная Конвенция по статусу Каспия. Несмотря на тот факт, что конвенция не решает окончательно вопросы трансграничных месторождений, президенты пяти прикаспийских стран позитивно оценили подписанный документ, отметив, что он станет хорошей базой для дальнейшего развития экономического сотрудничества в каспийском регионе.  «Подписание Конвенции по статусу Каспия – историческое событие. Азербайджан конструктивно  работал, вносил свой вклад. И до подписания Конвенции Каспий  был морем стабильности, безопасности. У нас существует высокий уровень доверия, сотрудничества. Безопасность Каспия определяется Конвенцией. Азербайджан вносит активный вклад в экологический вопрос,  в вопрос обеспечения экологической безопасности при нефтегазовых операциях. Этот документ сыграет важную роль для будущего наших стран», сказал Президент Азербайджана Ильхам Алиев в своем заявлении после подписания документа 12 августа в Актау.

«Конвенция является своего рода конституцией Каспийского моря, она призвана урегулировать весь комплекс вопросов, связанных с правами и обязательствами прибрежных стран, а также стать гарантом безопасности, стабильности и процветания региона в целом», сказал президент Казахстана Нурсултан Назарбаев  в заявлении после подписания документа в Актау.

Президент Туркменистана Гурбангулы Бердымухамедов  предложил запустить механизм  пятисторонних регулярных консультаций  под эгидой министров иностранных дел.

Президент Ирана Хасан Роухани отметил, что конвенция о правовом статусе Каспия не устанавливает окончательные разграничительные линии на море, необходимо продолжить переговоры по этому вопросу. «Переговоры в части договоренности, в частности, в области разграничения и определения прямых исходных линий, должны быть продолжены, чтобы с помощью взаимопонимания и конструктивного взаимодействия в будущем достичь соглашений в соответствующих областях», сказал он. По словам Х. Роухани «окончательное принятие конвенции  зависит от прохождения законных процедур ратификации в прикаспийских странах».

«Безусловно, это событие войдет в историю как состоявшееся именно в Казахстане. Это большое событие, к которому мы шли два десятилетия: долго спорили, искали решение, и, наконец, оно найдено. Безусловно, это будет способствовать развитию нашего сотрудничества в прикаспийском регионе», отметил президент России Владимир Путин.

Таким образом, решение вопроса статуса Каспия, скорее всего, будет стимулировать создание новых механизмов налаживания и развития экономических связей, что зависит от уровня развития частного сектора в прикаспийских странах, степени защищенности экономик от ситуаций на мировых рынках,  создания благоприятного инвестиционного фона для привлечения новых стратегических инвесторов и инновационных технологий,  благоприятного таможенного и налогового режимов внутри каждого государства, в конце концов, желания следовать правилам свободного перемещения капиталов и товаров по аналогии рынка ЕС. Также важны условия для стимулирования создания и поддержания  новых платформ для диалога бизнеса.  Реализация новых транспортных проектов, инфраструктуры и реформы тарифной политики должны способствовать созданию конкурентоспособных свободных локальных рынков, зон свободной торговли, международного сертифицирования качества продукции, механизма взаимозащиты и неприкосновенности инвестиций на законодательном уровне как для внутреннего так и иностранного инвестора.  В данном случае конвенция безусловно будет способствовать более динамичному товарообороту как между пятью странами, так и трех глобальных сегментов мирового рынка – рынка ЕС, MENA, Восточной и Центральной Азии.

 Economic aspect of settlement of the Caspian status (signing of the Convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea by Presidents of 5 Caspian countries in Aktau on August 12) speaks for itself. The Caspian Sea comprises five countries with a total population of some 280 million. It is almost as many as in the MENA region (Middle East and North African states), about 300 million which is comparable with the market of the United States.

Geostrategic importance of the Caspian Sea lies in its being a central link between the rapidly growing economies of India and China, the region of MENA and the EU, the largest market in the world.

Today, when the WTO’s trade relations system, established after the Second World War, is being reviewed against the background of unstable oil market which has lost the trust of investors, the investment market is also “on the ropes” as the surplus of investments by the developed markets on the one hand and the lack of stability in the developing markets lead to a growing leverage of missed investment opportunities, right up to a new crisis of the world banking system.  In addition, investment uncertainty of relations between Great Britain and EU after Brexit (March 29, 2019), as well as a shift to a “fair” bilateral trade system, collapse of trans-Atlantic and Pacific trade blocs (cessation of negotiations on TTIP –USA and EU and the collapse of TPP- 12 states), all this causes an investment uncertainty in the developed markets and provides new chances for business. Therefore, the Caspian together with its human capital, biological, energy, geo-economic and transport-tourism potential may in the very near future become one of the most liquid investment markets.

A long-awaited convention on the Caspian status signed on the 12th of August of this year in Kazakhstan will contribute to it. In spite of the fact that the convention does not fully settle issues of cross-border fields, Presidents of the five Caspian states positively assessed the signed document, noting that it would be a good base for further development of economic cooperation in the Caspian region. “Signing of the Convention of the Caspian status is a historical event. Azerbaijan worked in a constructive way and made its contribution. Caspian had been the Sea of stability and security even before the signing of the Convention. The Convention is determining the security of the Caspian Sea. Azerbaijan is contributing to the ecological issue, to the matter of environmental safety when performing oil-gas operations. This document will be important for the future of our countries”, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said in his statement after the document had been signed in Aktau on August 12.

“The Convention is some kind of the constitution of the Caspian Sea. It is called upon to settle the full range of issues associated with the rights and obligations of coastal countries, and also become guarantor of safety, stability and prosperity of the region in general”, President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev said in his statement after the signing of the document in Aktau.

President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov offered to launch a mechanism of five-sided regular consultations under the aegis of the Foreign Ministers.

President of Iran Hassan Rouhani noted that the convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea does not establish final dividing lines in the sea, which is why it is necessary to continue negotiations on this issue. “Negotiations, especially on division and determination of straight baselines, should be continued in order to reach agreements in respective areas in future by means of mutual understanding and constructive cooperation”, he said. According to H. Rouhani, “final adoption of the convention depends on legal procedures of ratification in the Caspian countries”. 

“This event will certainly go down in history as the event which took place in Kazakhstan. It is a big event to which we headed for two decades: we were disputing a lot, searching solutions, and finally, we found it. It will certainly contribute to the development of our cooperation in the Caspian region”, President of Russia Vladimir Putin noted.

Thus, the settlement of the Caspian Status will likely stimulate creation of new mechanisms of establishment and development of economic relations, which depends on the level of development of the private sector in the Caspian countries, level of protection of economies from situations in the world markets, creation of the favorable investment background for attraction of new strategic investors and innovative technologies, favorable customs and tax procedures inside each state, and finally, the wish to follow the rules of free circulation of capitals and goods similar to the market of the EU. Conditions for creation and maintenance of new platforms for the business dialogue are also important. Implementation of new transport projects, infrastructure and the tariff policy reform shall contribute to the creation of competitive free local markets, free trade zones, international certification of products quality and mechanism of immunity of investments on the legislative level. In this case, the convention will certainly promote a more dynamic turnover of goods both between all 5 countries and the three global segments of the world market – EU, MENA, East and Central Asian markets.   

Heydər Əliyev Fondu və Mədəniyyət Nazirliyinin dəstəyi ilə İtaliyanın Genuya şəhərində keçirilən “Nervi Rozza Music Ballet Festival”ında iştirak edən Azərbaycan Dövlət Akademik Opera və Balet Teatrının balet truppası Xalq artisti Arif Məlikovun “Məhəbbət əfsanəsi” baletini açıq səma altında, möhtəşəm səhnədə nümayiş etdirib.

Caspian Energy Media AZƏRTAC-a istinadən xəbər verir ki, Azərbaycan mədəniyyətində, klassik balet tarixində böyük mədəni hadisəni seyr edənlər arasında Genuya Opera Teatrının baş direktoru Kladuio Orazi, bədii rəhbəri Pierancelo Konte, Genuya şəhərinin meri Karlo Bucci, regionun mədəniyyət kuratoru Cesika Nikkolini və digər mötəbər qonaqlar yer alıblar.

Qeyd edək ki, Azərbaycan Dövlət Akademik Opera və Balet Teatrının balet truppasının İtaliyada növbəti çıxışı avqust ayında Arena de Veronanın səhnəsində keçiriləcək.

İqtisadiyyat Nazirliyi yanında Dövlət Vergi Xidmətinin gənc əməkdaşlarından və “Uğur yolu” müsabiqəsinin qaliblərindən ibarət nümayəndə heyəti MDB iştirakçısı olan ölkələrin vergi xidmətləri rəhbərlərinin Koordinasiya Şurası çərçivəsində Rusiya Federasiyasının Vladivostok şəhərində keçirilən vergi orqanlarının gənc əməkdaşlarının Forumunda iştirak ediblər.

Caspian Energy Media DVX-yə istinadla xəbər verir ki, forumun maraqlı tərəflərindən biri də MDB ölkələrinin mədəniyyətlərinin inteqrasiyası ilə bağlı hissə olub. Burada ölkələrin milli çay ənənələri təqdim edilib. Azərbaycan nümayəndə heyətinin ölkəmizin milli çay adətləri və şirniyyat süfrələri bağlı təqdimatı iştirakçılarda böyük maraq yaradıb. Bununla yanaşı, üzv ölkələrin ənənələri və dəyərlərinin öyrənilməsi məqsədilə digər təqdimatlar edilib.

Daha ətraflı

Texas və Luiziana ştatlarının cənub-şərqini vuran “Beril” qasırğası üç milyona yaxın insanın elektrik enerjisini kəsməsi nəticəsində azı 7 nəfər həlak olub.

Caspian Energy Media BBC-yə istinadla xəbər verir ki, rəsmilər dağıdıcı küləklər, 15 düym (38 sm) qədər yağış və "həyat üçün təhlükəli" fırtına dalğaları barədə xəbərdarlıq edib.

Flightaware.com-un məlumatına görə, bazar ertəsi Hyustonun əsas hava limanında 1100-dən çox reys ləğv edilib.

Bazar ertəsi gecəsi Texasda təxminən 2,6 milyon müştəri elektriksiz qalıb, poweroutage.us-un verdiyi məlumata görə, Luiziana ştatında da bəzi kəsilmələr qeydə alınıb.

Qasırğa Karib hövzəsində ən azı 10 nəfərin ölümünə səbəb olub.

Səlahiyyətlilər, Texasın Harris və Montqomeri əyalətlərində yeddi nəfərin öldüyünü, qonşu Luiziana ştatında isə daha bir ölüm faktının təsdiqləndiyini söylədi.

At least seven people have died after Hurricane Beryl slammed into south-east Texas and Louisiana, knocking out power for nearly three million people, Caspian Energy Media reports with reference to BBC.

Officials warned of destructive winds, up to 15in (38cm) of rain and "life-threatening" storm surges.

More than 1,100 flights were cancelled at Houston's main airport on Monday, according to flightaware.com.

Some 2.6 million customers in Texas were without power as of Monday night, said poweroutage.us, with some outages also reported in Louisiana.

The storm caused at least 10 deaths in the Caribbean.

Officials said seven people had died in Texas's Harris and Montgomery counties, while one more fatality was confirmed in neighbouring Louisiana.

"Qalatasaray"ın əfsanəvi məşqçisi Fatih Terim futbolçu kimi ilk müqaviləsini düz 50 il əvvəl "Qalatasaray"la bağladı və onu ömürlük sarı-qırmızı rənglərə bağlayacaq və adı ilə sinonimləşəcək klubun bir parçası oldu.

Caspian Energy Media “euronews”a istinadən xəbər verir ki, bazar ertəsi klubun rəsmi X hesabında edilən paylaşımda Terimin 8 iyul 1974-cü ildə ilk dəfə rəsmi olaraq Qalatasaray oyunçusu olduğu vurğulanıb.

Dünya bazarında Azərbaycan nefti ucuzlaşıb.

Caspian Energy Media AZƏRTAC-a istinadla xəbər verir ki, “Azeri Light” markalı neftin bir barelinin qiyməti 1,43 dollar və ya 1,56 faiz azalaraq 90,29 dollar olub.