President Ilham Aliyev and Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych have held a meeting in Davos.
Addressing the Ukrainian President, President Ilham Aliyev said:
Dear Mr. Yanukovych, I am very glad to see you again and to have the opportunity to continue our dialogue, which has been developing very successfully. I have good recollections of my visit to Ukraine and of the discussions we have had. They are having a very important influence on the further development of our relations.
Our relations are developing very actively, dynamically, are described as "strategic partnership" and "friendly relations". And I am sure that further enhancement of our political dialogue, active cooperation in the economic sphere, especially in the energy sector, will further bring our countries and peoples closer together, create favorable conditions not only for the development of bilateral relations between our countries, but also for the comprehensive development of cooperation in the region of Black and Caspian seas. I want to heartily salute you again and express hope for a continuation of the active work for the benefit of Ukraine and Azerbaijan.
Addressing the head of the Azerbaijani state, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych said:
Thank you, Mr. Aliyev. I am very pleased to meet with you again. The frequency of our high-level meetings is being passed on to our governments, to the people implementing the programs that you and I have identified in the sphere of bilateral relationship. Of course, the high-level political dialogue confirms that the strategic relations between our two countries is the foundation of friendship between our peoples. This is particularly valuable at the time of various crises. The Ukrainian people will never forget your father Heydar Aliyev making a historic decision to support Ukraine with fuel and lubricants and oil supplies to our refineries. It was a crucial breath of fresh air that Ukraine needed at the time, and Azerbaijan did it on the instruction of President Heydar Aliyev.
You are continuing the good tradition. We are very pleased that throughout 2010 there has been a steady growth in our turnover, that we have opened new spheres of activity between our countries and stepped up trade in fuel, lubricants and oil. Today our ministers have prepared a new agreement which will further bolster our strategic partnership. I am aware that much of this activity is brought about by your personal involvement. I am very pleased to say that. And, of course, speaking about early 2011, we are making another step and must continue our joint efforts to build trade relations, trade and economic ties. So I am pleased to note that the first step has been prepared by us together. I am planning to visit Azerbaijan this year, as we have agreed, at a time convenient for you and for me, so that we could carry on our friendly political and strategic dialogue on Azerbaijani soil. Here in Davos, where heads of state and government, politicians, business people from many countries are gathered today, I suggest that our ministers sign this very important agreement between our two countries in our presence.
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Two documents were signed after the meeting in the presence of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
The Agreement on measures to promote cooperation in the field of oil transportation through the territory of Ukraine and the Memorandum on cooperation in the organization of supplies of liquefied natural gas to Ukraine were signed by the Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine, Yuriy Boyko, and the Minister of Industry and Energy of Azerbaijan, Natig Aliyev.
