BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1. The Azerbaijani government has welcomed Romanian investors to work in the Alat Free Economic Zone (AFEZ), which will become the most profitable place to do business in Azerbaijan, Chairman of the Board of the AFEZ Authority Valeh Alasgarov said, Trend reports.
He made the comment at the eighth meeting of the
Azerbaijan-Romania Intergovernmental Joint Commission on Trade,
Economics, and Scientific-Technical Cooperation.
Alasgarov described the installation of cargo terminals on AFEZ
territory in the first half of 2026 as a new appealing component of
AFEZ's operations.
According to the official, 500,000 tons of goods will be
transported through these ports initially, with the volume
increasing to around 1.5 million tons in the future.
“We are ready to evaluate any proposal from Romania and will give preference to investors who will use innovative technologies and approaches, and who will be engaged in high value-added, export-oriented production,” he added.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on the establishment and organization of activity in the Alat Free Economic Zone on the territory of the Garadagh district of Baku on May 22, 2020.
The FEZ started its activity in July 2022, in accordance with the law "On Alat Free Economic Zone".
The establishment of AFEZ aims to boost both domestic and international investment in the country's non-oil sector. Legislation within the zone provides exemptions for foreign specialized personnel from income tax, social insurance payments, and other related taxes and fees. Additionally, companies operating within FEZ enjoy exemptions from customs duties and taxes, including VAT, on exports of products and services abroad.
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