Economic Development Minister Leads Delegation to Ukraine, Meets with President Poroshenko

Azerbaijan’s Minister of Economic Development Shahin Mustafayev led an official delegation to Kiev, Ukraine, where participants met with Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman on March 13.

Mustafayev said relations between the two countries are based on history, friendship, mutual cooperation, and opportunities for enhanced economic cooperation.

“Currently Azerbaijan and Ukraine cooperate in areas of industry, agriculture, trade and investment, but the two countries can expand cooperation in trade, engineering, chemistry, metallurgy, processing of food and agricultural products, pharmaceuticals, construction materials,” Mustafayev said.  

Mustafayev called upon Ukrainian businesses to leverage Azerbaijan’s transit potential in order to access markets in the Caspian region, and to invest in the country’s agro-industrial parks. He mentioned that Azerbaijan is interested in establishing an Azerbaijan Trade House in Ukraine to increase opportunities for Azerbaijani exporters in the Ukrainian market.

For his part, Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman expressed Ukraine's interest in expanding bilateral cooperation.

The delegation also met with the Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, Taras Kutovyi, where Mustafayev emphasized his country’s willingness to invest in agro-projects, especially those that will increase outputs of Azerbaijani products such as vegetables, hazelnuts, wine, tea, fruits, tobacco and cotton.

“Production of the Ukrainian farmers is gaining popularity on foreign markets from year to year,” Kutovyi noted. “This proves the high quality and competitiveness of Ukrainian products. I think that it would also satisfy the demands of customers in Azerbaijan.” 

On the second day of his visit Mustafayev was received by President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, who highlighted the importance of holding the 12th session of the Joint Intergovernmental Ukraine-Azerbaijan Commission for Economic Cooperation in Kyiv in 2017. 

Poroshenko thanked Azerbaijan for supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and confirmed his country’s unwavering support for Azerbaijan in the restoration of its territorial integrity within what are internationally recognized borders.

The two sides emphasized their willingness to expand mutually beneficial cooperation in trade and in key projects like shipbuilding, aircraft manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and agriculture.