Ambassador talks reasons for delay in launching Azerbaijan-Egypt flights
Trend:
Despite an agreement between Azerbaijan and Egypt about the launch of direct flights, this process is delayed for some reasons, Egyptian ambassador to Azerbaijan Adel Ibrahim Ahmed Ibrahim said at a press conference in Baku July 27.
“So, the airlines think they can face big financial losses as a result of launching direct flights, which is leading to a delay in this process,” he added.
Moreover, the diplomat stressed that relations between the two countries should be promoted in tourism sector, the flow of tourists should increase and thereby a ground for launching direct flights should be created.
"There must be a big tourist flow between the two countries,” he said. “Moreover, the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Egypt is not at a high level due to the lack of direct flights."
Then, the ambassador said that mutual high level visits between the two countries are expected in the near future to be made.
He added that preparation for these visits is currently underway.
"The relations between Azerbaijan and Egypt are at a high level,” he said. “I have been entrusted with a great responsibility in further strengthening the bilateral relations."
The diplomat added that the relations between Azerbaijan and Egypt are developing on the basis of agreements signed during a meeting of the interstate commission in Cairo in February.
“For five months of my activity in Azerbaijan, political relations between the two countries have reached a good level,” he said. "Presently, work is underway to expand trade relations between Azerbaijan and Egypt."
According to the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee, trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Egypt amounted to $8.05 million in 2017, of which $1.48 million accounted for the export of Azerbaijani products to Egypt.
Egypt’s Air Cairo launched a direct Baku-Sharm El Sheikh-Baku flight in June 2016, thereby creating conditions for increasing the flow of tourists from Azerbaijan.
However, later the airline decided to temporarily suspend the flight from this resort city to Baku, explaining its decision by the insufficient number of passengers.