Latvian minister sees major logistics potential in Azerbaijan - EXCLUSIVE

Azerbaijan's logistics potential presents major opportunities for Europe, Latvia"s Agriculture Minister Armands Krauze told Report.

He noted that there is significant logistical potential for exporting Azerbaijani agricultural products, particularly tomatoes, to the Latvian market. "The 9th meeting of the Azerbaijan–Latvia Intergovernmental Commission held in Shusha was an important event. We identified new areas for cooperation and addressed specific sectors during our bilateral meetings in Azerbaijan. I have visited Azerbaijan several times and admire your vegetables. Although there are currently certain logistical difficulties related to Russia, I see great opportunities for delivering these beautiful and tasty vegetables to Latvia. While the distance between Madrid and Riga is about 3,900 km, the distance between Baku and Riga is 3,200 km. In other words, Azerbaijan is not far away," he said.

The minister added that special attention will be paid to livestock and forestry within the framework of practical cooperation. "The main focus is on agriculture, livestock and the supply of breeding materials for local farmers. At the same time, through information exchange and the creation of joint ventures in the field of forestry, we can help restore forests destroyed in Azerbaijan's liberated territories," he said.

Krauze also spoke about the possibility of applying Latvia's agricultural insurance system in Azerbaijan, stressing the importance of risk management. "As a state, we cover part of insurance costs through both national and European Union subsidies. For the next seven years, we are working on creating special funds to address the negative impacts of climate change and crisis situations. This system is directly linked to our and the EU's subsidy policy," he said.

The minister emphasized that the sides also plan to exchange experience in film production and the cinema industry. "Many films are currently being shot in our capital, Riga; we could apply this experience in Baku as well. We all remember the famous classic 'Jirtdan' film – there is great potential in this field, and it is just one of the areas where we can cooperate," he added.