Iran and Azerbaijan surveyed ways of enhancing bilateral cooperation in the agriculture sector during a meeting between Iranian Agriculture Minister Mahmoud Hojjati and Azeri Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev on Tuesday.
“Azerbaijan is eager to start cooperation with Iran in the fields of cotton and sapling cultivation. We also want to use Iran’s experience in the production of different kinds of nuts so as to be able to start our own production units,” Mustafayev was quoted as saying by IRNA.
The Iranian minister said to promote agricultural cooperation, the two countries can embark upon joint production and exports.
“Iranian entrepreneurs and economic players are willing to enter joint investments in Azerbaijan,” Hojjati said.
Hojjati also held a meeting with Heydar Asadov, his Azeri counterpart, on Monday.
“There is a wide scope for cooperation between the private sectors and governmental bodies of the two countries in the fields of agricultural production, trade, research and technical matters,” IRNA quoted Hojjati as saying in a press conference held after the meeting.
He added that the two sides are eager to collaborate in agro outsourcing, sericulture, poultry industry, especially the rearing of turkeys and ostriches, industrial livestock farming and the trade of buffalos and genetically modified cows.
“The two countries will help each other enhance the quality of their products to meet international standards. We will use Azerbaijan’s facilities to export out products to other countries and vice versa,” he said.
Asadov expressed his gratitude toward Iran for its assistance in promoting sericulture in Azerbaijan.
“An expert delegation is scheduled to visit Iran to gain more experience in the field in the near future,” he said.
“Five documents were signed between Azerbaijan and Iran, while dozens of meetings were held to provide a legal framework for cooperation in the agricultural sector,” Asadov was quoted as saying by Trend News Agency.
The two ministers attended a meeting of Iran-Azerbaijan Economic Commission later on Monday where representatives of companies active in agricultural and food industries discussed opportunities of further bilateral interactions.
Hojjati arrived in Baku on Sunday for a three-day visit and held a meeting with Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev on the first day.
