BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 27. Projects aimed
at exporting green energy from Azerbaijan to Türkiye are currently
being evaluated, while broader efforts continue to expand trade,
investment, and technological cooperation between the two
countries, Tamerlan Taghiyev, Azerbaijan’s Trade Representative in
Türkiye, said in an interview with Trend.


Taghiyev noted that opening Azerbaijan Trade Houses in Türkiye
could also be considered if there is sufficient interest, noting
that Turkish businesspeople themselves must take the initiative in
this direction.


Recalling that the Trade Representation of Azerbaijan in Türkiye
has been operating since 2023, Taghiyev stressed that one of the
main priorities is to attract Turkish entrepreneurs and investors
to Azerbaijan.


“Our primary task is to encourage Turkish businesspeople and
investors to come to Azerbaijan, establish businesses, and invest
here. The second key area is ensuring the use of appropriate
services to promote and sell Azerbaijani goods and services in
Türkiye. Another important issue is facilitating technological
transfer between the two countries and building cooperation in this
field. Of course, whenever possible, we also work toward joint
activities by companies or entrepreneurs from both countries in
third markets,” he said.


According to Taghiyev, more than 30 visits by Turkish business
delegations to Azerbaijan have been organized so far.


“Within these missions, more than 200 businesspeople have
visited Azerbaijan. Some of them have already started operations in
the country in various sectors, while others are working on their
business plans, either with local partners or independently. We
believe they will begin operations in the near future. For example,
a Turkish company that came to Azerbaijan through our facilitation
recently established a Turkish-invested company here and plans to
provide innovative services,” he noted.


At the same time, the Trade Representation actively visits
different regions of Türkiye. To date, delegations have traveled to
more than 20 regions, holding meetings with businesspeople in
cooperation with local chambers of commerce and industry. During
these meetings, Azerbaijani investment opportunities, state
incentive mechanisms, and other advantages are presented.
Particular emphasis is placed on the Karabakh and East Zangezur
regions, where Turkish entrepreneurs are informed about the
conditions created and incentives offered in these areas.


Taghiyev emphasized that Azerbaijan not only offers incentives
but also provides concrete financial and partnership
mechanisms.


“Relevant institutions operating in Azerbaijan, such as the
Azerbaijan Business Development Fund (ABDF), offer both
concessional loans and partnership mechanisms. This always attracts
the attention of Turkish businesspeople, and there are already
those who are benefiting or considering benefiting from these
opportunities. Currently, every Turkish company that comes to
Azerbaijan through us holds meetings with the ABDF,” he said.



The Trade Representative also highlighted that Turkish
entrepreneurs are being informed about incentives and mechanisms
available in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.


“We explain that Azerbaijan has free trade agreements with ten
countries, providing access to a large market with a population of
280 million. At the same time, Azerbaijan has Preferential Trade
Agreements with both Türkiye and Pakistan. Under these agreements,
entrepreneurs can access those markets for products specified in
the agreements. In other words, entrepreneurs who manufacture
products in Azerbaijan can export their goods and services to these
large markets without customs duties or taxes,” Taghiyev
explained.


He did not rule out the possibility of expanding the scope of
the Preferential Trade Agreement between Azerbaijan and
Türkiye.







“The scope of the Preferential Trade Agreement can be expanded,
and new products can be added. The list of products in the document
was compiled based on the priorities of each country and can be
reviewed and broadened. I would also like to note that negotiations
are underway between Türkiye and Azerbaijan on a Free Trade
Agreement, and we hope this agreement will be concluded,” he
added.


Taghiyev also spoke about cooperation in renewable energy and
energy exports between the two countries.


“During COP29, significant achievements were made in the field
of green energy, and Turkish businesspeople highly appreciated
Azerbaijan’s role in this event. It is also known that COP31 will
be held in Türkiye, where important discussions on the transition
to green energy will take place. There are many companies in
Türkiye operating in this area. Several companies have approached
us with proposals to produce renewable energy in the Nakhchivan
Autonomous Republic and export it to Türkiye and other markets.
These projects are currently under evaluation. There are also
companies interested in implementing similar projects in the
Karabakh region,” he said.


A target has been set to increase mutual trade between
Azerbaijan and Türkiye to $15 billion. Taghiyev emphasized that the
Trade Representation of Azerbaijan in Türkiye is actively
fulfilling its responsibilities toward achieving this goal.



Assessing the Turkish market as highly developed and
competitive, Taghiyev noted that certain Azerbaijani products could
successfully compete there, especially those included in the
Preferential Trade Agreement.


“Because these products can enter the Turkish market duty-free,
they have strong competitive potential. That is why we mainly
invite entrepreneurs whose products are included in the agreement
to Azerbaijan. At the same time, we have organized buyer missions
from Türkiye. These visitors are Turkish businesspeople who supply
goods to large retail chains in their country or are interested in
opening Azerbaijan Trade Houses in Türkiye. If there is sufficient
interest, opening Azerbaijan Trade Houses in Türkiye is possible,
but Turkish entrepreneurs must take the initiative. We are doing
everything we can to stimulate this interest,” he said.


Taghiyev also commented on the expected impact of the Zangezur
corridor on bilateral trade relations.


“Once the Zangezur corridor is opened and becomes operational,
the distance between Azerbaijan and Türkiye will be significantly
reduced. This is extremely important because logistics play a major
role in trade. Time, convenience, and cost are all critical
factors. Logistics costs directly affect product prices and
competitiveness. After the corridor opens, there will be much
greater momentum in trade. We are already informing Turkish
businesspeople about this and encouraging them to take advantage of
these opportunities now. We also point out that the Aghdam
Industrial Park, which started operating just a few years ago, is
already 70% occupied. This shows that opportunities should be
seized without delay,” he said.


Speaking about goals for the coming year, Taghiyev noted that
the Trade Representation is evaluating its activities and
identifying priority areas.


“Türkiye’s regions are highly diverse in terms of both
production and trade. Next year, we aim to visit additional regions
of Türkiye and promote the opportunities Azerbaijan offers.
Organizing visits of Turkish businesspeople to Azerbaijan remains
our main responsibility. We plan to further expand cooperation with
chambers of industry and commerce in Türkiye and to meet more
frequently with companies that have export potential, as we do now.
At the same time, expanding cooperation in technological solutions
and implementing other supportive measures are also planned,” he
concluded.


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