(Sukuk.net - The Peninsula) "We appreciate the efforts and leadership of The Emir, H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, for his visionary and good management of the wealth of the nation, its diversified economic policies, infrastructure development and human resource development in a bid to build a strong future for Qatar. The experience of Qatar is good for us to learn. As a diplomat I am studying this so we can use it in our country", the Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Qatar, Eldar N Salimov, said yesterday.

Qatar is enjoying unprecedented prosperity with economic progress evident in the living standards of its citizens, infrastructure growth and development.

Bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Qatar have been improving over the past one year with a number of agreements signed and good prospects for further cooperation.

The ambassador, while commenting on the relationship between the two nations, said: "Most recently our Minister of Justice, Fikret Mammadov, met the Ambassador of Qatar to Azerbaijan, Sheikh Mubarak bin Fahd Jasim Al Thani and discussions were on prospects of cooperation in the forensic field and the expansion of relations between the two countries in the judicial field."

Azerbaijan and Qatar have signed a military agreement on cooperation for regional security.

"We are receiving a lot of tourists. Last year, Azerbaiajan received one million tourists, and we hope this year it will improve. Qatar Airways will start flying to Baku next year and that is a good way to improve relations between the two nations", said the ambassador.

The Azeri community in Doha is about 100-strong.

Commenting on whether Azerbaijan is a European or Asian nation, the ambassador said, it was a very difficult question; Azerbaijan is bridge between two civilizations, of Europe and Asia, he said.

The culture of Azerbaijan has developed as a result of diverse influences, including it's, Islamic, Caucasian and Turkic heritage as well as Russian influence. Geographically it's bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the north-west, Armenia and Turkey to the southwest and Iran to the south, he said.

Azerbaijan is an economy that has completed its post-Soviet transition into a major oil-based economy (with the completion of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline). Azeri GDP grew 41.7 percent in the first quarter of 2007, possibly the highest of any nation worldwide. Such rates cannot be sustained, but after growing 26.4 percent in 2005 (second highest GDP growth in the world in 2005, after Equatorial Guinea), and over 36.6 percent in 2006 (world's highest), the GDP growth has been fast every year.

It has substantial oil reserves and a significant agronomic potential based on a wide variety of climatic zones. The national currency, the Azerbaijani Manat, is equivalent to US$1.24.

By Victor Ikoli
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