President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana.

Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana described Azerbaijan’s hosting of the Summit of the UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) on this institution’s 25th anniversary as a landmark event and offered her congratulations on this occasion to the Republic of Azerbaijan as a host and chairman.

The head of state pointed out that Azerbaijan was a UNESCAP member in 1992, adding that the country enjoys high-level political relations with most of its members.

President Ilham Aliyev noted that UNESCAP is a vital platform for cooperation in transport, digitalization, energy and other areas of mutual interest, touched upon the possibility of future cooperation between the regions of UNESCAP and SPECA and highlighted cooperation in the transport sector.

The head of state provided information about the development concept of the Middle Corridor as well as transport corridors connecting the Caspian and Black Seas, which are realized together with the regional countries, and underlined the need for digitalization of transportation and application of single tariff and standards.

They discussed joining the Trans-Asian Railway Network Agreement of the UNESCAP, the Intergovernmental Agreement on Dry Ports and other intergovernmental agreements.

They exchanged their views on the expansion of relations between Azerbaijan and UNESCAP and Azerbaijan’s hosting respective meetings of this institution.