Victor Bojkov: EU to add investment issue to grant projects in Azerbaijan

The EU is interested in the export of Azerbaijani products, Victor Bojkov, the head of the Cooperation Department of the EU Delegation in Azerbaijan, told reporters at an event in connection with the Traditional Food Festival in Sheki city, Report informs.

He said that the EU has signed six grant projects in the agriculture sector with Azerbaijan, adding that the highest cost of the signed grant programs amounted to $1.4 million, the lowest – $400,000.

Bojkov has also commented on the sustainability of projects with Azerbaijan to promote agritourism: “It depends on the Azerbaijani side. If the development of agriculture continues, we hope that we will continue. EU projects are being implemented on the basis of a seven-year framework program. We are now completing one and proceeding to the next one. The next stage will be related to investments. Grant projects will remain, the issue of investments will be added to them.”

Traditional Food Festival is taking place today, Sept. 4, in Azerbaijan’s Sheki city, as part of the project “Encouraging agritourism, agribusiness and food production through consulting services, creating and developing new value chains.”

The project is funded by the EU and implemented by the Center for Economic and Social Development, the Uluchay Social-Economic Innovation Center, and the Center for Economic Development of Bulgaria.