The President said the present scope of bilateral contacts satisfied him in every field, and Mr. Primakov's visit was coming as another earnest of further progress.
Russian entrepreneurs approve and promote the succession of Azeri policies in the economy and other spheres, replied the guest. To meet with top functionaries of the Azeri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and sign a partnership contract with it was the goal of his visit, he added.
Mr. Primakov and Suleiman Tatlyev, his Azeri counterpart, signed the contract today, after the presidential reception.
"This is a framework document, which determines partnership fields and targets. The current stage of market reforms in either country makes interstate relations insufficient, and entrepreneurial and other nongovernment bodies need a more extensive commission for bilateral contacts," stressed Evgeni Primakov.
He emphasised another point, too-the importance of a recently established CIS Council of Chambers of Commerce and Industry for closer links within the Commonwealth. Azerbaijan has been elected its maiden chair country for this year, with subsequent rotation.
Russia's Chamber of Commerce and Industry is doing much to encourage and upgrade the business community. Bringing together 160 regional chambers, it is doing much for emergent industrial policies, which are a big national problem. The Chamber is dynamically lobbying legislation to promote enterprise, and staunchly works against alarming anti-market trends-in particular, for corporate commodity and consumer service pricing, added Primakov.
