site.btaPM Borissov Begins Two-Day Working Visit to Azerbaijan

Baku, January 15 (BTA Special Correspondent Antoan Nikolov) - Bulgarian Prime Minster Boyko Borissov Monday arrived on a two-day working visit to Azerbaijan at the invitation of that country's President Ilham Aliyev.

At a meeting with Aliyev, the Bulgarian PM said that the scheduled air service between Sofia and Baku to be inaugurated on Tuesday will be a very big step and will contribute to work with Azerbaijan in the area of business, tourism and connectivity between the two countries.

Borissov expressed the hope that Azerbaijan will support Bulgaria's gasification and that President Aliyev will instruct the state oil company SOCAR regarding the supply of gas to Bulgaria. "We have examined their experience in the construction of gas distribution networks in Georgia and other places," Borissov said.

After the meeting, Aliyev said that he and Borissov had talked about the development of bilateral relations in the political, energy and other spheres. He congratulated his guest on the launch of the Bulgarian EU Council Presidency.

The one-to-one session between Borissov and Aliyev was followed by plenary talks involving Bulgarian Energy Minister Temenouzhka Petkova, Economy Minister Emil Karanikolov, Agriculture, Food and Forestry Minister Roumen Porozhanov, and Transport, Information Technology and Communications Minister Ivaylo Moskovski, who are on the delegation headed by Borissov.

On Tuesday, Prime Ministers Borissov of Bulgaria and Artur Rasizade of Azerbaijan are scheduled to inaugurate the first ever scheduled air service between Sofia and Baku. It will facilitate connectivity and development in all areas of bilateral relations and will contribute to the more cost-effective transport of passengers between the west coast of the Caspian Sea and the Balkans.