BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 31. The 7th meeting of the Azerbaijan-Bulgaria Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation was held in Bulgaria's Sofia, Trend reports via the Ministry of Agriculture.
Ahead of the session, delegations led by Azerbaijan’s Minister of Agriculture and co-chair of the commission, Majnun Mammadov, and Bulgaria’s Minister of Energy and co-chair, Zhecho Stanko, held a bilateral meeting. They discussed cooperation in energy, transportation, agriculture, technology transfer, trade, investment promotion, use of the Middle Corridor for third-country exports, food security, environmental protection, labor and social protection, healthcare, culture, and tourism.
Stankov emphasized Bulgaria’s interest in expanding collaboration in trade, industry, energy, transportation, agriculture, defense, tourism, and culture, describing Azerbaijan as a strategic economic partner and highlighting energy cooperation as central to bilateral relations.
Mammadov noted the strong development of bilateral ties over the past three decades and stressed the potential for diversifying trade and increasing turnover. The minister highlighted the need to remove the challenges and bureaucratic hurdles that hinder the export of Azerbaijani products, including agricultural goods, to the European Union and other third countries via Bulgaria. He called on businesses from both countries to leverage the favorable geographic locations and economic zones in Azerbaijan and Bulgaria to enhance exports.
The commission concluded by signing a protocol outlining measures to further develop bilateral cooperation across economic, agricultural, industrial, energy, transportation, ICT, scientific, humanitarian, social, healthcare, environmental, and tourism sectors. The protocol also aims to strengthen the legal and regulatory framework governing bilateral relations.
Both sides agreed that the 8th session of the Azerbaijan-Bulgaria Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation will be held in Azerbaijan next year.
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