Azerbaijan is completely independent from international financial institutions — Aliyev

Azerbaijan has become completely independent from international financial institutions, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has said.

"We suspended relations with the International Monetary Fund during the first period of my presidency. As for other financial institutions, we can say that we have completely stopped our cooperation," Aliyev said, speaking in Baku at the International Forum on April 9.

The country's external debt, he said, is "only $5 billion, which is 7 percent lower than our gross domestic product."

"This shows that we do not need foreign investments, financing," Aliyev said.