Individual meetings are much more effective than long distance communication. However, the official language is Azerbaijani. It may be necessary to translate official documents into Azerbaijani, rather than Russian. Business can be conducted with translators. Consumer credit mechanisms are rudimentary.
Most business is conducted with cash.
The first wholly foreign-owned western bank, the British Bank of the Middle East, began commercial operation in Baku in 1996. Credit cards are only beginning to be used at a few western establishments and the International Bank of Azerbaijan. The International Bank of Azerbaijan operates 18 ATM machines and through the end of June '99 has issued 6,000 Visa and Evropay International cards. IBA is planning to increase the number of cards issued to 10,000 by the end of this year. English-language papers are published weekly.