The first international conference entitled “Montenegro – Azerbaijan Economic Relations: Partnership for the Future” was held in Podgorica today, jointly organized by the Public Policy Institute (PPI) and the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SAM), where the potential models of cooperation between the two countries in the fields of economics, international relations, energy security and environment were presented.
Representatives of the Public Policy Institute, Center for Strategic Studies and the Government of Montenegro agreed that the partnership between the two countries is a success story in bilateral relations and of key importance in strengthening the position of Montenegro in international community.
Public Policy Institute is a regional think thank organization that was established a year ago in Podgorica with the aim of supporting governments in the region on their paths of Euro-Atlantic integration. The cooperation of our expert teams with partner organizations in the region and across the EU and the world is precisely one of the main methods PPI conducts in the area of public policy. Strategic partnership with the Center for Strategic Studies from Azerbaijan will enable Montenegro to strengthen its capacities for complex projects in the fields of economy, energy, environment, rule of law and security through the joint projects related to research, strengthening of human resources and mutual experience exchange.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Government of Montenegro, Petar Ivanović, said that Montenegro should cooperate with Azerbaijan in the filed of organic food production.
“This area is very significant for us. We are quite gifted in natural resources, but a considerable proportion of our land is not treated, what is, I believe, our great shortcoming. However, this land is not contaminated, we do not use a lot of fertilizer so that we have great potential for the development of organic agriculture”, he said.
According to Branimir Gvozdenović, the Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism in the Government of Montenegro, the principal objectives of Montenegro are the open market, political stability and the path towards European integration, and, consequently, the Republic of Azerbaijan certainly has a big part in this.
“Suffice it to mention the kindergarten in Bijelo Polje and the park in Podgorica, which are located in a street that bears the name of the capital city of Azerbaijan. At this point, most attention should be paid to the tourism resources and investment in Hotel Resort Porto Montenegro, which is very successful and important in this particular sector”, he claimed.
Deputy Director of the Center for Strategic Studies of Azerbaijan, Dr. Gulshan Pashayeva, pointed out that the partnership of Montenegro and Azerbaijan is characterized by regular contact and close cooperation at the international level, and that the SAM is interested in pursuing many joint projects, primarily concerning tourist facilities and various investment projects.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Mahur Gasimli, agreed that the European integration process is very important and that the primary objective of Azerbaijan is to invest in countries that share the same principles and values: “Azerbaijan is a small country that had been faced with numerous wars, a million people were displaced, but we were able to rapidly develop and build strong state institutions. We are serious investors to all the countries that are prepared to support and embrace our principles, and Montenegro is certainly one of them”, he concluded.
After the introductory speeches, the experts of the Center for Strategic Studies and the Public Policy Institute, presented the data from distinct areas of importance for Montenegro and Azerbaijan – Dr. Vusal Qasimli, Head of the Economic analysis and Global Affairs Department, Ariz Huseynov, expert on energy security, and Nina Ninković, an expert in environmental protection.
Source: Cafe del Montenegro and PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE
