FROM EIR DAILY ALERT

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OECD Lawmakers Meet in Azerbaijan, Votes Up ‘Baku Declaration’ for New Silk Road

March 13, 2018 (EIRNS)—An international conference of lawmakers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) member countries is convening in the Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan today, to discuss connectivity prospects offered by the New Silk Road development. Indicative are panel sessions, which include “Strengthening of Mutually Beneficial Cooperation and Trade Relations”; “Simplification of Transport and Logistics Procedures”; and “Building Confidence, Promoting Cultural Exchange and Dialogue.” China’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Wei Jinghua will deliver lectures at the conference, and a “Baku Declaration” will be passed at the event’s conclusion.

Azeri Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmar Mammadyarov opened the conference, saying “We are renewing the Silk Road with new instruments,” and that his country is investing a lot already to become a hub for trade between Asia and Europe. The upgrading of the Azeri port of Baku serves that broader design, he said.