Deputy minister: Azerbaijan aims to become one of hubs in halal sector

Azerbaijan aims to become one of the hubs in the halal sector, Azerbaijani Deputy Minister of Economy Samad Bashirli said at the Azerbaijan Halal Business and Tourism Forum held in Baku, Report informs.

According to Bashirli, Azerbaijan, together with neighbors countries, is located at the junction of a Muslim consumer market of 400 million people: "The halal concept today is no longer limited to just the food and service sector. İt also rises to a new level by covering the environment and key aspects of sustainable development. Hosting such an event in Azerbaijan is of great importance."

The deputy minister stated that the infrastructure projects implemented in Azerbaijan further increase the country's importance as a transport hub: "The oil and gas sector forms the basis of Azerbaijan's economy. For many years, work has been carried out to diversify the non-oil and gas sector in Azerbaijan, and priorities have been determined. However, to ensure the sustainability that forms the basis of the work done in this area, there is a need to increase exports."

Bashirli stated that currently, activities are being carried out to increase the transport capabilities of Azerbaijan, which is located at the junction of East-West and North-South corridors: "This includes projects such as Baku-Tbilisi-Kars, Baku International Trade Port, Alat Free Economic Zone, and others. However, increasing transport opportunities is not enough. Along with this, expanding trade opportunities also plays an important role. We have free trade agreements with regional countries. In addition, preferential trade agreements have been signed with two OIC member countries, namely Türkiye and Pakistan. Liberalization of trade in this area is one of our main priorities."