Alexei Overchuk takes part in Azerbaijan-Russia Business Council meeting
Alexei Overchuk takes part in Azerbaijan-Russia Business Council meeting
Alexei Overchuk takes part in Azerbaijan-Russia Business Council meeting
Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk took part in a meeting of the Azerbaijan-Russia Business Council held in Baku as part of the 24th meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Azerbaijan. During the meeting, he outlined key priorities for advancing trade, economic, investment, transport, logistics, and humanitarian cooperation, and urged the business communities of both countries to fully capitalise on emerging opportunities for cooperation.
In his remarks, Alexei Overchuk highlighted the dynamics of trade and economic cooperation and stressed the importance of building a sustainable growth trajectory, emphasising the leading role of the business community in this process. “Everything that takes place on this business platform is driven by mutual interest in trade,” he noted, adding that the role of governments is to create a favourable and comfortable environment for business. The Deputy Prime Minister also stated that, following the meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission, the ministries of the economy had been tasked with conducting an “audit” of trade relations to identify new growth opportunities.
Continuing his remarks on economic cooperation, the Deputy Prime Minister turned to the prospects for mutual investment. He highlighted the favourable business environment in Azerbaijan, including the presence of industrial and special economic zones. “Attractive conditions for business development are being created here,” he said, encouraging Russian companies to give priority to initiatives proposed by the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan in this area and to make more active use of the opportunities available.
At the same time, Alexei Overchuk pointed to the opportunities offered by Russian platforms for Azerbaijani partners. “For my part, I would also encourage Azerbaijani businesses to explore the possibilities available in Russia, including our special economic zones, where strong and effective cooperation can take shape and grow,” he said, citing ongoing projects in the automotive, agricultural and transport engineering, metallurgy, and pharmaceutical sectors.
According to the Deputy Prime Minister, a substantial portfolio of joint industrial initiatives has already been formed, including projects in the automotive sector, agricultural and transport engineering, and metallurgy. He stressed that cooperation in the pharmaceutical industry, including drug manufacturing, remains a key priority for both countries.
At the same time, Alexei Overchuk encouraged business representatives to explore opportunities in new areas of cooperation. “We need to take a broader view of the possibilities available here, including the development of machine tool manufacturing. I have personally visited the special economic zones: you can simply come, connect, and begin operations – the conditions are very favourable,” he said, highlighting the readiness of local infrastructure to host production facilities.
The Deputy Prime Minister commended the scale of infrastructure projects underway in Azerbaijan, particularly in the fields of transport and logistics. “We see the significant efforts being made by the President of Azerbaijan to transform the country into a major transport hub – a Eurasian crossroads where routes from east to west and from north to south intersect,” he said, highlighting ongoing developments in rail, automotive, aviation, and maritime infrastructure. He also placed special emphasis on the North-South International Transport Corridor. Alexei Overchuk noted that the Russian Federation, in cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran, is implementing a project to construct the missing railway segment between the Azerbaijani border city of Astara and the Iranian city of Rasht.
The Deputy Prime Minister detailed the logistical advantages of the emerging transport route configuration, highlighting, in particular, the active development of infrastructure in the Zangilan District and the construction of an international border crossing in the Agbend area, where a modern bridge has already been completed and work on the checkpoint is ongoing.
“For businesses, this means that departing from Moscow, you can reach the Russian-Azerbaijani border in just two days. We have ensured efficient cargo handling there, so there are no queues at present. From there, using Azerbaijan’s high-quality road network, a truck can arrive at the Iranian border within a few hours, and shortly thereafter reach Türkiye or continue on towards ports in the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean,” he explained.
According to Alexei Overchuk, the development of the North-South corridor and related routes is creating fundamentally new export opportunities for businesses in Russia and Azerbaijan. He pointed to the EAEU’s free trade agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran, which enables Russian producers to access a market of around 90 million people with duty-free conditions for most goods.
The Deputy Prime Minister added that Azerbaijan provides Russian companies with a gateway not only to the Iranian market but also onward to India and other countries of the Global South. He emphasised the importance of focusing on markets where Russian goods and services are in demand and where partners are oriented towards long-term cooperation.
Tourism development was addressed as a separate topic. The Deputy Prime Minister noted that around 200,000 citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan visited the Russian Federation last year, while approximately 500,000 Russian citizens travelled to Azerbaijan, emphasising that these figures are significant but still below their full potential. He added that the parties are discussing the expansion of the flight network between the two countries, with the aim of increasing the number of Russian regions offering direct connections to Azerbaijani cities. The Deputy Prime Minister also commended Azerbaijan’s network of modern international airports and said that the Russian tourism industry should make more effective use of these opportunities to develop new routes and tourism products.
Particular attention in his remarks was given to the humanitarian dimension of cooperation. Alexei Overchuk noted that Azerbaijan places strong value on the Russian language, which is widely taught at schools, and that interest in expanding partnerships between the two countries’ higher education institutions is growing. This includes plans to establish a joint Russian-Azerbaijani university based at St Petersburg State University. He also announced Russia’s proposal for Azerbaijan to consider joining the International Organisation of the Russian Language.
Alexei Overchuk emphasised that the comprehensive ties between Russia and Azerbaijan are grounded in the political will and strategic vision of their top leadership. He stated that the difficult period in bilateral relations has now passed and that new opportunities are emerging for growth and deeper partnership. He also expressed appreciation to the Azerbaijani side for the constructive dialogue and consistent goodwill.
