Jevdet Yilmaz: We believe that Azerbaijan and Armenia will soon sign a peace agreement

A delegation led by Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz will visit Azerbaijan on December 22 to participate in the 12th meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation.

As reported by BAKU.WS, in an interview with the Report news agency ahead of the visit, Cevdet Yılmaz discussed the commission's agenda, the development of economic ties in the region, and Turkish-Armenian relations in the context of peaceful settlement between Baku and Yerevan.

- Mr. Yılmaz, what issues will be discussed during the Joint Intergovernmental Commission meeting?

- Together with Azerbaijan's Prime Minister Ali Asadov, we will hold the 12th meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission in Baku. We view this meeting as a strategic consultation platform within the concept of "One Nation - Two States" to strengthen bilateral relations. As two brotherly and allied countries, we will discuss opportunities for expanding cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, industry, technology, agriculture, energy, mining industry, environment, transport, communications, education, healthcare, emergency management, finance, migration, and diaspora issues.

We want the successful political ties between the two countries to be reflected in economic cooperation through concrete steps, particularly by increasing mutual investments, simplifying conditions for mutual trade, and creating joint production.

Following the meeting, we will sign the Protocol of the 12th Commission meeting and an Action Plan that includes specific elements of cooperation in the aforementioned areas. This document will define the roadmap for Turkish-Azerbaijani economic relations for the upcoming period.

As you know, on May 8, 2024, we held the 11th meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation in Ankara. We have successfully implemented most of the tasks included in the Action Plan signed at that meeting. This demonstrates that the strong political will of both governments leads to concrete results.

- The topic of opening borders between Turkey and Armenia has been relevant lately, and there is also progress in relations between Baku and Yerevan. Could this progress open the way for the implementation of regional economic projects?

- Azerbaijan and Armenia are moving at an accelerated pace toward establishing lasting peace, which is very encouraging. The Washington agreements reached on August 8 by the leaders of the two countries with US participation, particularly the joint declaration reflecting the opening of regional transport and communication lines, are important steps in the settlement process. The TRIPP project ("Trump's Route for Development and Prosperity"), which is planned to be implemented within the framework of these agreements, is extremely important for economic integration in the South Caucasus.

Progress has not been limited to diplomatic steps but is also supported by concrete economic actions. Azerbaijan has lifted restrictions on cargo transit that had been in place since the occupation of Karabakh and has made its first export of petroleum products to Armenia. All these steps demonstrate the will of both countries for lasting peace and cooperation in the region. We believe that this interaction will deepen further with the signing of a peace agreement.

These realities undoubtedly have a positive impact on the process of normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations. Ankara will continue the efforts aimed at establishing peace and stability for regional development and common prosperity, which we have been making from the very beginning.

- How do you assess the progress of the peace-building process in the South Caucasus and what results