Moldova and Azerbaijan to cooperate in various secotrs

Governments of Moldova and Azerbaijan signed an Agreement on cooperation in geodesy, cartography, cadastre, geographic informational systems and soil tele-detection, on February 22 in Baku. The agreement will contribute to the application of the cooperation to the social and economic benefit of the signatories. Joint enterprises are to be created for operating topography, geodesy, cartographic and cadastral works; information exchange; operating scientific research, experiments, production and exploitation; training of specialised staff. During the meeting between the Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin and his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliev, in July 2006, at the CIS informal Summit, discussion focused on the possibility of exploring and mining resources of oil and natural gas on Moldova’s territory. The two presidents discussed the possibility of Azeri experts’ participation as consultants in the stage of working out the project. Government decided to announce in the near future an international tender for commissioning geologic research works for oil and natural gas on Moldova’s territory. At the moment, the institution of a tender committee has been agreed upon. The committee has been empowered to work out a tender book as well as other documents which are necessary for the solicitors of the concession, within a one month term. The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources has been tasked to organise the international tender, as well as to conclude the concession contract with the winning bidder. Earlier Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev stated that Moldova is searching for alternative energy resources. Tarlev also mentioned that Government intends to develop its own enterprises for extracting crude oil and the data available does not exclude the possibility that natural gas could also be mined on the territory of Moldova.