By Mirsaid Ibrahimzade
The economic relations between Azerbaijan and the Netherlands embrace various spheres. The countries cooperate in different directions such as industry, producing, processing and packing of agricultural production, ICT, tourism, health, and ecology.
The agricultural sector of Azerbaijan offers broad commercial opportunities to Dutch companies, the Netherland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Trend.
The ministry stated that given the priority that Azerbaijan attaches to efforts to diversify its economy and the experience of the Netherlands in this filed, agriculture has the greatest potential.
The Netherlands is the world's second largest exporter of agricultural products, after the U.S. Thanks to its innovative agrifood technology, the Dutch agrifood sector is a sustainable source of healthy, safe food that is produced with respect for nature and the environment.
The Dutch Foreign Ministry said that this fall they plan to hold an agricultural seminar in Baku on the topic "Sustainable agriculture for the production of healthy food."
The ministry noted that they will bring together companies, ministries, institutes, universities and educational organizations of Azerbaijan and the Netherlands, as the Netherlands’ own experience shows that a sustainable solution to agricultural problems is possible only with the close cooperation of these agencies.
Speaking about the most promising directions of the trade between the two countries, Dutch MFA emphasized that trade in greenhouse technology, seeds, dairy products, as well as meat has the greatest potential.
The trade turnover between the two countries reached 181.8 million in 2018. This was 7.2 million more than in 2017.
The ministry stressed that the Netherlands actively supports international trade and investment thanks to efforts of the MFA, the RVO organization, which provides support to Dutch exporting companies, and Dutch embassy in Baku.
The MFA said that Dutch companies are assisted in finding appropriate partners and convenient retail chains in Azerbaijan, appropriate events are organized, and contacts between government agencies, especially between ministries of agriculture, are encouraged.
The ministry reminded that the Dutch pavilion has been organized at Caspian Agro in Baku since 2016.
In general, more than 125 companies with the Netherlands’ capital operate in Azerbaijan. Their activity area covers such fields as financing, industry, construction, service, trade, agriculture, transport, ecology, etc.