On April 28, the 8th meeting of the Joint Cooperation Commission between the governments of Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia was held in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, covering economic, trade, investment, technology, culture, sports and youth spheres.
At the end of the meeting, the parties signed memorandums of understanding in three different areas to strengthen cooperation. The agreements cover: mutual recognition of seafarers’ certificates, cooperation in the field of plant protection and quarantine, promotion of joint projects among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The maritime agreement will provide for the mutual recognition of the certificates of seafarers of both countries. This step aims to increase the mobility of human resources in the maritime sector and facilitate mutual employment. The agreement on plant protection and quarantine is considered an important step towards improving safety and quality standards in the trade of agricultural products. The parties will exchange technical information to prevent the cross-border spread of plant diseases and pests. Cooperation in the field of SMEs includes increasing direct investments between the two countries, supporting entrepreneurship projects and organizing joint business forums. In this context, direct contact between the SME support organizations of the two countries is also planned. At the end of the meeting, the delegations of Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia signed the official protocol of the 8th Joint Commission Meeting, formalizing future cooperation steps. These agreements between the two countries are seen as an important step towards further deepening both economic and cultural relations. In the coming period, the parties aim to evaluate cooperation opportunities in new areas such as energy, infrastructure, tourism and education.
