Bilateral cargo transportation between Russia and Azerbaijan rises 11% in 2023 - Deputy PM of Azerbaijan

MINERALNYE VODY. Feb 28 (Interfax) - Bilateral cargo transportation between Russia and Azerbaijan increased more than 11% in 2023 compared to the previous year, Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Shahin Mustafayev said during the Russian-Azerbaijani interregional forum in Mineralnye Vody on Wednesday.

"Last year, the total volume of bilateral cargo transportation between our countries increased over 11%. A landmark project being implemented by Azerbaijan and Russia is the project for the development of the North-South international transport corridor," the Deputy Prime Minister said.

The corridor provides an optimal opportunity for transporting goods from South Asia to Europe via the territories of the two countries. "The volume of cargo transported along the corridor [North-South MTC} saw an increase of almost 17% in 2023," he said.

The strengthening of ties between the two countries was influenced, in part, by the opening of the Hanoba customs checkpoint in March last year, he said. He expressed confidence that the opening of the checkpoint would further contribute to the development of economic relations, the expansion of trade turnover and an increase in the volume of cargo transportation between Russian and Azerbaijan.