Deputy Minister of Trade of the Republic of Turkey, head of the Customs Department Riza Tuna Turagay told APA that the “Preferential Trade Agreement” between Azerbaijan and Turkey will be extended. Turagay noted that the goal was set to increase trade turnover between the two countries to $15 billion: “Currently, our trade turnover is about $5 billion. In 2021 we had imports of $2.3 billion and exports of $2.7 billion. We’re working to increase that trade turnover.”

One of the most important issues for expanding trade relations, he said, is the opening of the Zangezur corridor. “The opening of this corridor will give us an advantage in terms of getting access to Azerbaijan, and from there to Central Asian countries, to increase the volume of trade. High-level negotiations with Russia to open the Zangezur corridor are ongoing. We expect the corridor to be opened in the very near future,” the Turkish deputy minister said, thus hinting at some secret negotiations with Russia.