UPDATE: Azerbaijan seeks to develop non-oil cooperation with Russia

(Adds comments by Medvedev in last three paragraphs)

BAKU, Apr 8 (PRIME) -- Russia and Azerbaijan should look for new joint projects for cooperation in non-oil sectors, Azerbaijani Prime Minister Artur Rasizade said Friday during a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

“The unstable situation with oil prices has an impact on the Russian economy as well. I think that our corresponding bodies should look for new joint projects which would help develop those sectors of the economy which do not depend on oil. We have a very big potential here,” Rasizade said.

The countries could develop cooperation in the agriculture, pharmacology, tourism, and military and technical spheres, he said.

Medvedev said that Russian pharmaceutical companies are ready to launch production in Azerbaijan.

“We are now cooperating with Azerbaijan on such an important direction as pharmaceutics. And these are very high-technology projects, in which Russian pharmaceutical companies participate and are ready to create production facilities in Azerbaijan, which will give us a possibility to integrate our technologies, create enterprises,” he said.

“And high-quality pharmaceutical products will appear on the Azerbaijani market, and citizens of this country will be able to buy them with national, not foreign currency,” he said.

End