BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 3. The 16th meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Belarus was held in Minsk, a source in the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers told Trend.
The meeting was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Samir Sharifov from the Azerbaijani side, and Deputy Prime Minister Natalya Petkevich from the Belarusian side.
Speaking at the forum, Petkevich said that relations between Azerbaijan and Belarus are based on time-tested friendship and mutual trust. She noted that the goal set by the heads of state to increase bilateral trade turnover to $1 billion indicates a high potential for cooperation between the countries.
Petkevich emphasized that industrial cooperation, the establishment of joint ventures, and cooperation in agriculture are among the main development directions of bilateral relations. New partnership opportunities and joint investment projects between business circles were also discussed within the framework of the forum.
Speaking at the meeting, Sharifov emphasized that Azerbaijani-Belarusian relations are developing successfully on the basis of mutual trust and high-level political dialogue formed between the heads of state, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko. The deputy prime minister pointed out that the Intergovernmental Commission plays an important role in expanding cooperation between the two countries and ensuring the implementation of the agreements reached.
Sharifov noted that despite global economic challenges, trade relations between Azerbaijan and Belarus are demonstrating positive dynamics. During the first four months of 2026, mutual trade turnover increased by more than 11% compared to the same period last year, reaching $158 million. The parties agreed to implement additional measures to further increase trade turnover, diversify the export nomenclature, and expand investment cooperation.
The Azerbaijani official highlighted that the Azerbaijan Trade House operating in Belarus plays an important role in the development of bilateral trade relations. It was noted that this platform makes a significant contribution to the promotion of Azerbaijani products in the Belarusian market, the expansion of exports, and the strengthening of business relations.
At the meeting, industrial cooperation was assessed as one of the most promising areas of cooperation. It was noted that the Ganja Automobile Plant successfully continues to produce tractors, trucks, utility, and special equipment in cooperation with leading industrial enterprises of Belarus.
The parties also discussed the possibilities of implementing new joint projects in Azerbaijan in the fields of household appliances production, elevator equipment assembly, pharmaceutical and veterinary preparations production, as well as the preparation of mineral fertilizers.
The meeting focused on joint projects implemented in the liberated territories. The implementation of the agro-town project with the participation of the Belarusian side in Gizil Kangarli village of Azerbaijan's Aghdam district was highly appreciated. The parties agreed on the timely implementation of the next stages of the project and the continuation of cooperation in the direction of creating agro-industrial complexes.
The issues of developing cooperation in the field of agriculture, strengthening integration between food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary control systems, and increasing mutual exports of agricultural products were also widely discussed.
The development of cooperation in the field of transport and logistics was also one of the main topics of the meeting. It was noted that the volume of transit transportation increased by more than 63% from January through April 2026. The parties agreed to continue joint activities towards the digitalization of cargo transportation, expansion of electronic information exchange, and deepening cooperation on international transport routes.
The results achieved in the field of humanitarian cooperation were also highly appreciated. It is planned to create new cooperation mechanisms in the fields of culture, education, healthcare, youth policy, and sports, expand the exchange of specialists, and implement joint projects.
Within the framework of the meeting, the Final Protocol of the 16th meeting of the Azerbaijan-Belarus Intergovernmental Commission, the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the State Statistical Committee of Azerbaijan and the National Statistical Committee of Belarus, the Cooperation Program in the Field of Physical Education and Sports for 2026–2030, the Roadmap for Cooperation in the Field of Healthcare between the Ministries of Health of Azerbaijan and Belarus for 2026–2027, and the Agreement on the Assembly of Fire-Fighting Equipment between the Ganja Automobile Plant and "POJSNAB" were signed.
Following the 16th meeting of the Azerbaijan-Belarus Intergovernmental Commission, an Azerbaijan-Belarus business forum was held with the participation of government representatives and businessmen.
At the end of the meeting, the parties reaffirmed their determination to continue joint efforts to strengthen the Azerbaijan-Belarus strategic partnership, expand economic cooperation, and develop relations in all areas of mutual interest.
It was agreed to hold the next, 17th meeting of the Azerbaijan-Belarus Intergovernmental Commission in Baku in 2027.
