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In a recent meeting, Poland’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Robert Telus, engaged in discussions with a high-level delegation from the Republic of Azerbaijan, led by Shahmar Movsumov, the Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Department of Economic Affairs and Innovative Policy Development. The talks also included Azerbaijan’s Minister of Agriculture, Majnun Mammadov, and his deputy, Ilhama Gadimova.
Poland’s Commitment
Minister Telus expressed Poland’s keen interest in enhancing bilateral relations with Azerbaijan in the agricultural and agri-food trade sector. He also conveyed Poland’s support for any efforts aimed at achieving lasting peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Both parties acknowledged the positive progress in Polish-Azerbaijani cooperation in agriculture but stressed the need to tap into the full potential of their relations, both at the administrative and business levels. Minister Telus highlighted the importance of effectively implementing the memorandum of cooperation in agriculture signed between Poland and Azerbaijan in May 2019. He noted that the Polish-Azerbaijani intergovernmental commission for economic cooperation, which included representatives from the National Support Centre for Agriculture (KOWR) and the Main Inspectorate of Veterinary Services in its 2023 meeting, serves as an excellent platform for dialogue and identifying areas of collaboration.
Azerbaijan’s Interest
The Azerbaijani delegation expressed a strong interest in Poland’s experiences and solutions related to land management systems. Minister Telus emphasized that, according to the Polish Constitution, family farming serves as the foundation of Poland’s agricultural structure. Polish family farms produce high-quality products with global appeal, as demonstrated by the remarkable agricultural export results, totaling over 47.6 billion EUR in 2022. Minister Telus also noted Polish agri-food companies’ interest in increasing exports to the Azerbaijani market.
Proposed Actions
Azerbaijan’s Minister of Agriculture presented initiatives aimed at strengthening bilateral agricultural cooperation. These include efforts to boost mutual trade, cooperation in education, establishing joint ventures, and joint initiatives in beekeeping, cattle farming, and dairy processing.
Minister Telus expressed interest in these proposals and encouraged Azerbaijani partners to collaborate with KOWR, a government agency dedicated to supporting agricultural export development, facilitating business contacts between the two countries.
Trade Exchange with Azerbaijan
In the first eight months of 2023, agricultural exports to Azerbaijan reached nearly 16.8 million EUR, representing a growth of around 70% compared to the same period in 2022. The main export items included food products, chocolate and cocoa-based products, frozen vegetables, live cattle, malt extract, and food products made from flour.