Azerbaijan poised to deepen tourism cooperation with Russia

Deputy Economy Minister Sahib Alakbarov announced at the Caucasus Investment Forum (CIF) that Azerbaijan is ready to enhance its cooperation with Russia in the tourism sector.

"As for relations between Russia and Azerbaijan, the main thing here is, of course, mutual investments. I think that we will continue to make investments precisely to develop tourism because this is also an important direction. Our indicators are growing annually, we have a huge potential here," Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

Alakbarov highlighted that Azerbaijan is currently implementing numerous investment projects in the tourism sector in the North Caucasus. Specifically, an Azerbaijani company has invested private funds amounting to $25 million to build a sanatorium in Yessentuki and an additional $26 million to construct a five-star sanatorium in Zheleznovodsk. In June 2024, another sanatorium by an Azerbaijani investor was opened in Kislovodsk.

The deputy minister also mentioned that 8 Russian airlines operate regular flights from 17 Russian cities to 3 cities in Azerbaijan. In turn, AZAL air-carrier provides regular flights from Baku and Ganja to 12 Russian cities, including Groznyy.

Moreover, Alakbarov revealed that the Azerbaijani Economy Ministry received applications from Russian companies for 24 projects aimed at working in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur.

"We are studying them, jointly working them out. In general, we expect active participation of Russian companies in projects in the liberated territories, which will certainly contribute to further strengthening of partnership ties between Azerbaijan and Russia," he added.

Regarding the development of transport corridors, Alakparov noted that a road from Russia to the Iranian border has already been built, and work on the Zangazur corridor is also ongoing. "We have agreed with Iran, that we will build a bridge on the Araz River now, and there will be such a branch, a twin branch through the territory of Iran. And through Zangazur in the future, and three years, maybe even earlier, this line will also work (the Zangazur corridor)," Alakparov said.