BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 17. Azerbaijan's Alat Free Economic Zone is becoming a regional logistics and industrial hub, Advisor to the Executive Director of the Export and Investment Promotion Agency of Azerbaijan (AZPROMO), Sevil Yahyayeva, said at the "WUF13 - awareness session for the private sector" today, Trend reports.
According to her, a strong foundation has been created in the country for enhancing international trade and investment cooperation, implementing new joint projects, and establishing long-term economic partnerships.
The AZPROMO official noted that infrastructure and institutional incentives also play an important role in creating a favorable investment climate. Economic zones, investment promotion mechanisms, tax and customs privileges created in Azerbaijan provide broad opportunities for investors.
"In this regard, the Alat Free Economic Zone (AFEZ) is of particular importance. AFEZ is not only a zone with a special legal and economic regime, but also an important component of Azerbaijan's strategy to become a production, processing, trade, and logistics hub in the region. Access to the Caspian Basin, Central Asia, the Caucasus, Türkiye, and European markets, port infrastructure, and integration with international transport routes make AFEZ attractive for the formation of regional value chains.
Currently, an air cargo cluster (Alat Cargo Airport, Cargo Village) is being created in AFEZ to carry out cargo transportation. These infrastructure projects create important prospects for the transformation of AFEZ into a strategic industrial center with the integration of various modes of transport," she explained.
Yahyayeva also said that Azerbaijan's growing transport and transit capabilities create significant advantages for the private sector.
"The new economic reality emerging along the Middle Corridor, logistics routes enhanced by digital solutions, and steps taken to facilitate trade are redefining the transit map of the region. Increasing the cargo carrying capacity of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, an important element of the Middle Corridor, to five million tons, the Baku International Sea Trade Port, whose capacity will reach 25 million tons per year in the coming years, and nine operating international airports further strengthen Azerbaijan's role as an international transport hub," she added.
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