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Turkish Ambassador: The Turkish people always stand by fraternal Azerbaijan, the contrary is impossible

30 October 2012 07:47 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Rashad Suleymanov â€“ APA. â€œTurkey and Azerbaijan have incomparable, special relations. We are the same nation, brothers and must develop our bilateral relations in all spheres. Our mutual investments have approximately reached $10 billion. Our goal is to increase it by $20 billion in the near future. Our other goal is to pave the way for the Azerbaijani and Turkish investors to invest in the third countries. We aim to increase the trade turnover, which was $3.5 billion in 2011, by $5 billion this year and by $10 billion in 2020,â€ new Ambassador of Turkey to Azerbaijan Ismayil Alper Coskun said in his interview to APA.

Touching on Nagorno Karabakh problem the diplomat mentioned that hundreds of thousands of people had been displaced, 20 percent of Azerbaijanâ€™s territories occupied as a result of the conflict.

â€œThis situation is the major factor posing threat to the security, stability and development in the region. Our country, as a member of OSCE Minsk Group, is closely following the process of the resolution of the conflict. We have stated on every level and in all platforms that Nagorno Karabakh problem must be solved immediately within Azerbaijanâ€™s territorial integrity through ending the occupation. The Turkish people always stand by fraternal Azerbaijan. As our honorable Prime Minister said while visiting Gabala, we will continue to stand by you, the contrary is impossible,â€ he said.

Speaking about the joint projects Ambassador said the foundation of STAR oil refinery, which will be constructed at Petkim petrochemical complex in Izmir, with $5.5 billion investment, was laid, construction on Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project is underway in Georgia and Turkey, the construction will be completed by the end of 2013, the railway will be put into operation in 2014.

â€œWhen this project is completed, railway transportation will be possible from China to London. The construction of TANAP pipeline, with capacity of 16 billion cubic meters, will start late in 2013. This pipeline will be ready for gas transportation in 2017. Kars-Igdir-Nakhchivan railway line and natural gas pipeline projects are also on our agenda and of great importance,â€ he said.

According to Ismayil Alper Coskun, the third meeting of High Level Strategic Cooperation Council between the two countries will be held in Turkey next year.