BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 7
By Fidan Babayeva – Trend:
A perspective industrial complex open to high technologies and innovations is being formed in Azerbaijan in the conditions of capitalist modernization of local manufacturing enterprises, Deputy Director of the International Institute of Energy Policy and Diplomacy of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), expert of the Center for Sustainable Development of MGIMO Igbal Guliyev told Trend.
According to Guliyev, the growth of the non-oil sector and reduction of industry’s dependence on crude hydrocarbons have long become the main postulates of the national economy’s development, and Azerbaijan has rich experience in this direction.
"Along with the branches of the fuel-energy complex, in the industrial sector of Azerbaijan, mechanical engineering, metallurgy, chemical, light, food industries, and others are developing rapidly. In the agro-industrial complex, which makes up about six percent of GDP, cotton growing, animal husbandry, sericulture, tea growing, and the processing industry is developing. In terms of GDP growth rates, Azerbaijan is one of the most dynamically developing countries," the expert said.
He stressed that in this regard, the creation of favorable conditions in the country for the formation of free economic zones is of particular importance.
"In the course of forming industrial policy, the Azerbaijani government uses fundamentally new mechanisms for the concentration of production capacities, applying the practice of creating industrial parks, quarters and clusters, as well as business incubators," Guliyev said.
He also noted that the key advantage of industrial districts is the availability of external and internal infrastructure, as well as special production facilities for their residents.
"The format of industrial quarters allows them to be created both in large economic zones and in the regions of the country. Successfully functioning Neftchala, Masalli, Hajigabul and Sabirabad industrial quarters can be cited as examples," concluded Guliyev.
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