Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev told representatives of Azerbaijani non oil exporters that 2017 will be very successful for the country taking into account indicators of the first quarter of the year.
"The indicators of this year are truly pleasant. I have already said this, and I would like to repeat that the results of the first three months of this year inspire us very much. This once again demonstrated that the decisions we made and reforms we started in 2016 have produced wonderful results in a short space of time," President Aliyev told a republican conference of non-oil exporters in Azerbaijan's Yevlakh District.
He was optimistic that the year 2017 was going to be a very successful year for Azerbaijan. The president said the non-oil sector of economy grew 2.4 percent in the first quarter of 2017, calling this a very good indicator.
"Our non-oil industry rose 2 percent, agriculture increased 3.5 percent," he noted. "More than 80,000 jobs were created in three months. Our trade turnover increased 15 percent, exports saw a nearly 50 percent growth, and imports fell 17 percent. The export of agricultural products increased 44 percent."
Azerbaijan had a trade surplus of over $1 billion in the first quarter of the year, Aliyev said.
"Our foreign exchange reserves are growing. This positive dynamics allows us to say that we will achieve even greater outcomes this year," added the president.
source: commonspace.eu with agencies
photo: President Ilham Aliev addressing the national conference on non oil-exports in Yevlakh on 17 April 2017. ([picture courtesy of the press service of the president of Azerbaijan)
