Azerbaijan, Türkiye establish joint mechanism in food safety

Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Türkiye in the field of food safety has entered a new stage, deepening through the creation of joint mechanisms, Aziz Sharifov, Deputy Chairman of the Azerbaijan Food Safety Agency (AFSA), said during a panel discussion at the 2nd Azerbaijan–Türkiye Investment Forum in Baku.

Report quotes him as saying this approach facilitates the simplification of trade procedures and expands mutual export opportunities between the two countries.

Sharifov explained that currently, information on 253 Turkish enterprises producing high-risk products is included in the registry, of which 119 have been evaluated and approved on-site by AFSA:

"Based on the results of these evaluations and the request of the Turkish side, the AFSA Board has partially recognized the equivalence of Türkiye's approval system. Following this recognition, a simplified regime has been applied for Turkish exporters. Now, without the need for on-site evaluation by AFSA, enterprises approved under Türkiye's guarantee can export animal-origin products to Azerbaijan."

He added that within this mechanism, 134 Turkish enterprises have been included in the register of animal origin products and have begun exporting to Azerbaijan:

"Thousands of Turkish-origin plant protection products, veterinary medicines, and biologically active food products have been registered and released into the domestic market. These measures have led to a dynamic increase in food exports from Türkiye to Azerbaijan, positively impacting trade turnover between the two countries."