BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 13. Latvia seeks collaboration with Azerbaijan in logistics and cargo transportation along international transport corridors, State Secretary of the Latvian Ministry of Agriculture Raivis Kronbergs said at the Azerbaijan-Latvia Business Forum, TurkicWorld reports.
"Given the new geopolitical realities, such cooperation is important for us," Kronbergs said.
Deputy Economy Minister of Azerbaijan Sahib Mammadov said the geographical location of Azerbaijan, which is part of numerous transport corridors, can be very beneficial for Latvia.
"Given the logistical challenges of cargo transportation from Asia to Europe amid shifting global geopolitics, the East-West transport corridor, part of the historic Silk Road, becomes the shortest trade route between Europe and China, facilitating intercontinental connectivity," Mammadov emphasized.
He added that Azerbaijan has developed the largest marine trading port on the Caspian, with a 15-million-ton-per-year capacity that can be enlarged to 25 million.
"My praise goes to the Baku Shipyard, which builds vessels for effective cargo transport in the Caspian region," Mammadov said.
He expressed the opinion that the Middle Corridor, as an integral part of the Silk Road, is gaining popularity and is experiencing steady growth in the volume of traffic handled.
"The Middle Corridor may be of interest to Latvia and the Baltic States," the deputy minister said.
According to him, the volume of cargo transported along this route increased by 86 percent to 2.7 million tons in 2023.
"This suggests that Latvian enterprises' active participation will enhance partnership ties," Mammadov added.
