Development of transport infrastructure forms building block of Azerbaijan's investment policy Deputy minister attends OECD forum

Azerbaijan views the development of its transport infrastructure as one of the key priorities of its broader investment policy.

This was underscored by Azerbaijan’s First Deputy Minister of Economy, Elnur Aliyev, during his attendance at an OECD event dedicated to emerging markets, Caliber.Az reports citing local media.

While participating in the forum that is hosted in Istanbul, Aliyev emphasized that the country is actively investing in the development of road, rail, maritime, and aviation infrastructure.

As examples, he cited projects such as the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway, the Baku International Sea Trade Port, and the Alat Free Economic Zone near the Baku Port, as well as new airports that were constructed in the liberated territories of Fuzuli, Zangilan, and Lachin. These regions, he noted, are gradually being integrated into Azerbaijan’s logistics network.

Speaking during a panel discussion titled “Multilateral Corridors: Expanding Trade and Transport Links,” the deputy minister also discussed the digitalization of customs and transit operations and the use of modern technologies in this field.

Aliyev further informed the audience that Azerbaijan was also invested in strengthening mutually beneficial partnerships within international and regional organizations in the fields of transport and trade in cooperation with the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), SPECA (the UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia), and regional countries.

In the course of the event, information on the measures taken by Azerbaijan to expand investment cooperation with other countries was presented. It was noted that the SPECA Multi-Partner Trust Fund, the OTS Turkic Investment Fund, and joint investment funds with Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan all aim to support cross-border trade, modernize logistics infrastructure, and finance priority projects.

Within the framework of the OECD forum, Aliyev also held a meeting with William Thompson, the Head of the Eurasia Division at the OECD, during which they discussed current matters regarding bilateral cooperation.

By Nazrin Sadigova