Azerbaijan, China sign MoU on agricultural cooperation
Beijing, October 12, AZERTAC
Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Agriculture and China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Beijing.
The agreement was signed by Azerbaijani Minister of Agriculture Majnun Mammadov, who is visiting China, and his Chinese counterpart, Zhang Zhu.
The memorandum identifies key areas of agricultural cooperation, including joint investment projects, efficient land use, technology transfer, business ties, trade expansion, agricultural digitalization, insurance, joint research, and capacity-building. The document also provides for the establishment of a Joint Working Group to prepare an Action Plan and oversee its implementation, thereby ensuring the effective implementation of the measures outlined in the memorandum.
At a meeting ahead of the signing ceremony, the ministers highlighted the development of Azerbaijan–China relations under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev and President Xi Jinping. They noted that President Aliyev’s state visit to China in April last year and the resulting agreements, particularly the Joint Statement on the Establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, had opened a new chapter in bilateral relations.
The ministers expressed confidence that closer agricultural cooperation would benefit both countries. China’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Zhang Zhu highlighted opportunities for cooperation in cotton farming, viticulture, winemaking, modern technologies, and research. He said China was interested in increasing trade with Azerbaijan in agricultural and processed products and stressed the importance of greater participation by Azerbaijani companies in exhibitions and trade fairs in China to boost Azerbaijani exports to the Chinese market.
The Chinese minister expressed confidence that the MoU signed by the two countries’ agriculture ministries would further strengthen bilateral cooperation in the sector.
Azerbaijani Minister of Agriculture Majnun Mammadov highlighted Azerbaijan’s efforts to modernize its agricultural sector, introduce advanced technologies, boost competitive production, and strengthen food security. He noted that the State Program for the Development of Agricultural, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Production and Processing Sectors in the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2026–2030 prioritizes sustainable development and the transition to intensive, competitive production.
Bilateral trade in agricultural and processed food products reached $37.9 million in the first seven months of this year, with imports from China rising by 25.5 percent and Azerbaijan’s exports to China increasing by 102.4 percent year-on-year, he said.
Majnun Mammadov also outlined opportunities to expand trade, strengthen business ties, and attract Chinese investment to Azerbaijan’s agricultural sector, including in the liberated territories. He expressed confidence that greater participation by Chinese companies in the annual Caspian Agro exhibition would help advance agricultural cooperation between the two countries. To deepen cooperation, he proposed diversifying agricultural trade and expanding collaboration in smart farming, agricultural technologies, drones, AI, technical training, and the exchange of professional experience.
As part of the visit, the Azerbaijani delegation toured the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences to explore their research projects and achievements.
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