Samir Sharifov: There is potential to expand trade turnover with Belarus

Azerbaijan and Belarus have opportunities to further increase mutual trade turnover and expand its structure through diversification of bilateral trade, Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Samir Sharifov said during a meeting with Belarusian Prime Minister Alexander Turchin.

According to Report, Sharifov said that economic cooperation holds a central place in the Azerbaijan–Belarus agenda.

"Despite the complex processes taking place in the global economy, our countries have managed to maintain positive dynamics in mutual trade and expand areas of business cooperation. In the first four months of 2026, trade turnover between our countries increased by more than 11% ($158 million) compared to the same period last year. We believe there are ways to further increase trade turnover and diversify its structure," he said.

The Deputy Prime Minister noted that the development of a wide dealer network of Belarusian companies in Azerbaijan, as well as the activity of the Azerbaijani Trade House in Belarus, could contribute to trade growth and diversification.

"We see the support of the Government of Belarus for the Azerbaijani Trade House through granting it special importer status and allocating additional quotas for wine imports from Azerbaijan as a practical and effective step in this direction. Strengthening investment cooperation between entrepreneurs of both countries, initiating and implementing joint projects is another powerful factor contributing to the growth of mutual trade," he added.

Sharifov also expressed confidence that the 16th meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission, taking place in Minsk, will help accelerate the implementation of key bilateral cooperation issues.

He further noted that in a narrow-format meeting earlier in the day with Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Natalya Petkevich, the sides discussed current issues on the agenda, reviewed progress on ongoing projects, and agreed on additional measures to accelerate implementation of agreements and resolve bottlenecks.