Minister for Agriculture Armands Krauze, in his capacity as the Latvian co-chair of the Latvian-Azerbaijani intergovernmental commission, paid a working visit to Azerbaijan, where he discussed with officials of that country the expansion of economic cooperation, including in agriculture, food production, forestry and the timber industry, as well as in science, technology and culture.
On 15 April, at a meeting of the Latvian-Azerbaijani intergovernmental commission, Armands Krauze and Azerbaijan's Minister for Agriculture Majnun Mammadov signed the protocol of the commission's 9th session, which will give stronger momentum to cooperation between the two countries in trade, agriculture and forestry, science, education and research, transport and logistics, culture, healthcare, environmental protection and other fields.
Minister for Agriculture Armands Krauze: “Latvia and Azerbaijan will continue purposefully deepening their cooperation in mutual trade and investment, education and science, tourism and technology. As Minister for Agriculture, I see considerable potential for further cooperation in agriculture, food and forestry, which are significant sectors in the economic relations between the two countries. Cooperation in food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary standards, and certification has already produced concrete results and strengthened mutual trust – Azerbaijan's recognition of Latvia's food safety control system provides a solid basis for the further development of trade. We must also develop cooperation in forestry, especially in the restoration of Azerbaijan's forests. AS “Latvijas valsts meži” offers high-quality forest seedlings and forest regeneration technologies, and has already invited Azerbaijani experts to visit Latvia, offering an opportunity to learn about Latvia's best practice and expertise in sustainable forest management. I encourage Latvian entrepreneurs to strengthen themselves and Latvia's economy by increasing exports to Azerbaijan – the export opportunities in that country are good, ranging from cattle and canned fish to forest seedlings and the practical introduction of the latest technologies.”
In the first half of the week, the Minister for Agriculture met in Baku with Azerbaijan's Minister for Agriculture Majnun Mammadov and Minister for Economy Mikayil Jabbarov, as well as with the management of the Food Safety Agency and other leaders and experts from the country's government and its institutions, to discuss numerous issues of current importance to economic and other forms of cooperation between the two countries.
The trade balance between Latvia and Azerbaijan is positive – Latvia exports more to Azerbaijan than it imports from it. In 2025, the value of Latvia's goods exports to Azerbaijan was 21 million euros, while imports amounted to 7 million euros. More than half of the value of exports from Latvia to Azerbaijan consists of food, farm animals and livestock products – 55%.