Latvia, Azerbaijan discuss food security, agricultural cooperation

Minister of Agriculture of Latvia Kaspars Gerhards is on a working visit to Azerbaijan.

During the visit, meetings are scheduled with Azerbaijani officials - Minister of Agriculture Inam Karimov, Co-Chairman of the Latvian-Azerbaijani Intergovernmental Commission (IGC), Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Mukhtar Babayev, Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov and Chairman of the Food Safety Agency Goshgar Tahmazli, Report informs citing the Ministry of Agriculture of Latvia.

The visit will end on July 15.

The main purpose of the visit is to further develop bilateral institutional and economic cooperation between countries in the field of food security, forestry, agricultural education and scientific research.

The ministry notes that in 2021, agricultural products were exported to Azerbaijan for more than 10 million euros in total value, which is 8.1 per cent more than in 2020. The most important place in the export of Latvian agricultural products to Azerbaijan is occupied by dairy products - fermented milk products and cheese. In 2021, this commodity group accounted for 39 per cent of the total value of agricultural exports.

On May 20, 2022, the 8th meeting of the Latvian-Azerbaijani Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) was held in Riga. The minutes of the meeting provide for broad cooperation on issues within the competence of the Ministry of Agriculture, especially food safety-related issues.