BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 6.
Azerbaijan invites German companies to build regional production
plants, Deputy Minister of Economy Samad Bashirli said at the
German-Azerbaijani Strategic Partnership and Connectivity
Conference held in Baku on Tuesday, Trend‘s correspondent reports from the
event.
According to him, Azerbaijan should be viewed by German
companies not merely as a market of 10 million people, but as a
platform for investment and technology cooperation spanning the
Caspian region, Central Asia, and the South Caucasus.
He noted that efforts to strengthen business ties between
Azerbaijan and Germany are supported by high-level political
dialogue.
“Today’s conference takes place following a significant
milestone in our bilateral relations. High-level meetings and
substantive discussions were held during President Ilham Aliyev’s
official visit to Berlin in July. During the visit, a Joint
Declaration on the strategic agenda for bilateral partnership was
signed, and an agreement was reached to establish the
Azerbaijan-Germany Business Council,” said Bashirli.
According to the deputy minister, Azerbaijan is working with the
German side to translate political momentum into concrete projects
and to secure the necessary financing for their implementation.
“We plan to visit Germany in early November to advance specific
initiatives currently under discussion and to hold the inaugural
meeting of the Azerbaijan-Germany Business Council,” he pointed
out.
Bashirli emphasized that Germany is regarded as a key industrial
partner in the development of Azerbaijan’s priority sectors.
“Our proposal to German companies is simple: establish a
presence in Azerbaijan, but manufacture for the wider region,” the
deputy minister noted.
According to him, this approach enables German manufacturers to
process raw materials from Central Asia in Azerbaijan and supply
products to markets in Türkiye and Europe. Logistics facilities,
terminals, and digital services along the route also offer
opportunities for private investment.
The deputy minister highlighted the crucial role of connectivity
in Azerbaijan’s economic cooperation with Germany.
“We view connectivity in terms of the movement of goods, energy,
data, and capital. Integrating these flows can transform transport
routes into economic corridors that support regional production,
services, and investment,” Bashirli explained.
He also said that Azerbaijan’s goal is to ensure that
connectivity generates additional economic value, rather than
serving merely as a transit opportunity.
According to Bashirli, the Alat Free Economic Zone, located
along the Middle Corridor adjacent to the Baku International Sea
Trade Port, provides a platform for investment with a distinct
legal and regulatory framework.
“Our goal is not merely to facilitate transit, but to ensure
that this connectivity generates value. The Alat Free Economic Zone
offers opportunities for investments that create high added value
and target export markets,” he emphasized.
The deputy minister also highlighted the expansion of
cooperation in the green energy sector. He noted that the Green
Energy Corridor being developed jointly with Kazakhstan and
Uzbekistan, as well as the planned Caspian-Black Sea-Europe
corridor, creates new opportunities for cooperation in the field of
renewable electricity.
“These projects create opportunities for German companies in
areas such as electricity generation and transmission,
infrastructure, and energy-intensive industries,” Bashirli
said.
He added that the Trans-Caspian Fiber-Optic Cable project would
also serve to strengthen digital connectivity between Europe and
Asia. According to him, establishing an additional route for
high-capacity data transmission across the Caspian Sea will enhance
the resilience of regional communication networks and reinforce
Azerbaijan’s role as a digital transit hub.
Bashirli mentioned that reliable power supplies for
high-capacity digital connections, combined with growing renewable
energy potential, could attract investments in data centers,
high-performance computing, and artificial intelligence
infrastructure.
“We are collaborating with international partners, including
Oracle, Dell Technologies, and bp, to expand these opportunities,”
the deputy minister noted.
He stressed that for Azerbaijan, artificial intelligence is not
a standalone sector but a horizontal platform that boosts
productivity across various areas of the economy.
“For us, artificial intelligence is not a separate sector. It’s
a horizontal platform that enhances productivity in manufacturing,
logistics, agribusiness, tourism, and export services,” Bashirli
said.
The deputy minister added that, under the Strategy for the
Development of the Digital Economy in Azerbaijan for 2026–2029,
plans are in place to support the digital transformation of up to
300 companies by 2030 through the adoption of Industry 4.0
technologies. Concessional loans and other support mechanisms will
be utilized to achieve this. S. Bashirli noted that a clear
investment model is needed to develop connectivity on this scale.
According to him, the public sector creates a favorable
environment, core infrastructure establishes initial demand and
mitigates risks, while private capital scales up successful
projects.
The deputy minister also noted that the High-Level Working Group
on Trade and Investment between Azerbaijan and Germany has
established a clear framework and strategic direction for economic
cooperation. According to him, the working group has established a
clear framework and strategic direction for economic cooperation.
According to him, the working group’s last meeting, held in
September of last year, gave new impetus to the dialogue between
the parties and contributed to advancing shared priorities.
