Belarus aims to boost exports to Azerbaijan, trade official says PHOTO

Belarus plans to expand exports of domestically produced goods to Azerbaijan, a senior trade official has said.

Irina Ivanova, Deputy Director General for Foreign Economic Relations at the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told local media that Azerbaijani consumers have shown strong interest in Belarusian products.

“We know that Belarusian goods are well loved in Azerbaijan. Our goal is to increase exports while reducing prices to make them more affordable for consumers,” she said.

Ivanova also welcomed the steady growth in bilateral trade between Belarus and Azerbaijan, noting that last year was particularly successful.

“The year 2024 was especially significant for us — we witnessed a major surge in trade turnover,” she added.

Azerbaijan and Belarus established diplomatic ties in 1993, with trade growing under a CIS Free Trade Agreement and the 2015 Socio-Economic Cooperation Agreement. Belarus exports machinery, fertilisers, and meat, while Azerbaijan supplies oil and supports energy swaps. 

Trade rose from $100 million in 2008 to $507 million in 2023, with Belarus holding a $340–$502 million surplus.

Joint ventures, like tractor assembly in Ganja since 2007, and high-level visits, including Lukashenko’s 2024 trip, boosted ties to a "strategic partnership," with 2024 marking a surge in meat exports and non-oil cooperation.

By Aghakazim Guliyev