Turkey ratifies protocol on economic cooperation with Azerbaijan

By Behlul Cetinkaya

ANKARA (AA) – Turkey has ratified the protocol of the ninth session of the Turkish-Azerbaijani Intergovernmental Joint Commission on Economic, according to the Turkish Official Gazette published on Thursday.

The ratification of the protocol that was signed by Turkey's Vice President Fuat Oktay and Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov in the capital Ankara on Feb. 19, was published in the Gazette.

According to the protocol, Turkey and Azerbaijan have agreed to expand cooperation in many fields, including education, food safety, transportation, and communication.

As part of the protocol, Turkey will support Azerbaijan in restoring and developing the regions liberated from Armenian occupation.

In addition to the protocol, the countries have signed four memorandums of understanding.

The agreements aim to improve cooperation in the fields of vocational training, transportation, and information technology, accreditation, and Muslim-halal food products.

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

In a conflict which erupted last September and ended in a Nov. 10 deal, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages from Armenia's nearly three-decade occupation.

The cease-fire is seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia, whose armed forces withdrew in line with the agreement.

A joint Turkish-Russian center was established to monitor the truce. Russian peacekeeping troops have also been deployed in the region.