Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 23
By Orkhan Quluzade – Trend:
Turkey and Azerbaijan may jointly export agricultural products to third countries, Turkey’s Minister of Food, Agriculture and Livestock Faruk Celik said in an exclusive interview with Trend.
He added that Turkey is constantly looking for new export markets, regardless of their size and remoteness.
"The recent crisis in Russian-Turkish relations has created problems in the agricultural export of Turkey," the minister said. "But it became a lesson for us to diversify our export markets. Nowadays, Turkey’s agricultural sector is the largest one in Europe, and the Turkish agricultural production’s value is $59.4 billion."
"Turkey exports 1,680 names of agricultural products worth $17 billion to 192 countries," the minister said. "But these figures are not sufficient for us, and I think that a lot can be done together with Azerbaijan."
Celik added that Turkey has access to Europe and the Middle East, and Azerbaijan - to Russia and Central Asia, so it’s possible to create effective cooperation between Ankara and Baku.
"Given the fact that currently, more than 800 million people around the world are starving, and if one doesn’t take the necessary steps, even more serious problems in food access may emerge, we need to increase food production not only for our citizens, but also for all the humanity," the minister said. "I am sure that Azerbaijan will take the necessary steps for the development of agricultural production."
He stressed that the level of cooperation between Turkey and Azerbaijan makes it possible for them to work together in third markets.
"Members of Azerbaijan-Turkey business forum dedicated to agriculture, which will be held Feb. 23 in Baku, will discuss not only the mutual trade, but also the issues of reaching different markets," Celik noted.
Azerbaijani Agriculture Minister Heydar Asadov, Head of the Turkey-Azerbaijan Business Council of Turkey’s Foreign Economic Relations Board Selcuk Akat and President of the National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers) Organizations of Azerbaijan Mammad Musayev will also take part in the event.
It is expected that 150 entrepreneurs, operating in various sectors of agriculture, will take part in the event.
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