Ukraine could expand agricultural exports to Central Asia via Azerbaijan

Ukraine and Azerbaijan have discussed expanding bilateral agricultural trade and using Azerbaijan’s logistics infrastructure to open new markets for Ukrainian products. The issue was discussed during a meeting between Ukraine’s Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Taras Vysotskyi and Azerbaijani Ambassador to Ukraine Seymur Mardaliyev.

The Azerbaijani side proposed making greater use of the country’s logistics capabilities to ship Ukrainian agricultural products not only to Azerbaijan itself but also in transit to Central Asian and Middle Eastern markets. Ukraine is interested in developing such routes and establishing direct contacts between companies from the two countries.

The two sides also plan to work toward restoring bilateral trade to its pre-war level of around $1 bln annually. Azerbaijan believes the agricultural sector could play a key role in achieving this goal. The talks also covered Azerbaijani investment in Ukraine’s agricultural sector and the implementation of joint projects.

Another topic was the potential restoration of logistics routes across the Black Sea. The Ukrainian side stressed that the safety of civilian shipping remains the key prerequisite for stable maritime connections.

Specific trade and investment projects are expected to be discussed at a meeting of the Ukrainian-Azerbaijani Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation in late November. Azerbaijan proposed holding B2B meetings between companies and organising visits to Ukrainian regions to explore potential investment projects.

Tags: Azerbaijan, agricultural export, Ukraine