Azerbaijan offers to serve as transit hub for Ecuadorian exports to Central Asia

Azerbaijan is ready to become a logistics centre for Ecuador's exports to Central Asian countries, offering access to business, developed transport infrastructure, and the region's transit capabilities, stated Azerbaijan's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Elnur Mammadov, in an interview with Ecuador's Expreso agency during his recent visit to the country.

"This is exactly how we see ourselves, and this is our main proposal. We are not a large country in terms of territory, but we are literally located at the crossroads of East and West. Therefore, we can serve as a direct gateway to Central Asia - a huge market encompassing five countries with developing economies and direct connections to the Persian Gulf," Report quotes him as saying.

He emphasised that Azerbaijan today possesses all the necessary infrastructure for this, including a large commercial port in Alat, as well as the largest commercial fleet in the entire Caspian region.

The deputy minister also added that, depending on the conditions and agreements reached, Ecuadorian companies can establish cooperation with Azerbaijan not only in transit matters but also in other areas.

"We can also serve as a hub, where Ecuadorian companies can establish themselves and begin direct exports of goods and services to countries of the region, targeting very large and high-consumption markets such as Russia, Türkiye, Iran, Central Asian countries, and others," he said.

Elnur Mammadov recalled that Azerbaijan and Ecuador have already established bilateral trade cooperation, and the current trade turnover between the countries is approximately $65 million per year.

"This is mainly the export of agricultural products from Ecuador to Azerbaijan. We are trying to promote Azerbaijan's exports in order to achieve a more balanced trade balance," he said.