More than half of European companies plan to expand business in Azerbaijan

More than half of European Union companies (57%) assess the economic situation in Azerbaijan as satisfactory, according to Aytan Akhundova, Head of the EU-Azerbaijan Business Forum for 2024-2026, Report informs.

While presenting the EU Business Climate Report Azerbaijan 2025/2026 in Baku, Akhundova noted that the overall perception of the business environment in the country was also assessed as satisfactory.

"These results are in some respects similar to last year's, although slightly lower. The reason may be the geopolitical situation in the region. As in the previous year, the most positive dynamics were observed in the area of political and social stability. The reliability and cost of energy resources, as well as the efficiency of logistics, transport and connectivity, were also cited among the positive factors," she said.

According to her, 42% of European companies consider customs procedures complicated. The official also stated that 9% of respondents described them as excessively complicated, while 33% said they were fairly complicated. Akhundova added that another 36% took a neutral position, while the rest assessed the procedures as favorable. Only 3% of companies consider customs procedures convenient.

She further said that 52% of companies plan to expand their business in Azerbaijan, while 25% intend to maintain their current level of operations in the coming years.

The official explained that the share of companies planning expansion has declined slightly compared with last year, mainly due to the geopolitical situation.