Azerbaijan allows tax-free import of Pakistani rice for five years

BAKU – Azerbaijan on Saturday announced a five-year tax exemption on rice import from Pakistan.

The move is aimed at stimulating growth of the bilateral trade between Pakistan and Azerbaijan.

Speaking at the international conference “Along the Middle Corridor: Geopolitics, Security and Economy” at ADA University in Baku the other day, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev said the decision was the outcome of his meetings with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held over the last couple of months.

During these meetings, the president said, they discussed the agenda of their bilateral relations.

The Azerbaijani president was responding to questions raised by Executive Director of Center for Global and Strategic Studies of Pakistan Khalid Taimur Akram, as a participant.

The president said he discussed with Pakistan’s prime minister, the prospects of further intensifying the bilateral economic and trade cooperation and the decision over special regulations for rice from Pakistan, was a reflection of that.

He said they had decided to take this step in order to stimulate the growth of mutual trade between the two countries.

“Why should we buy rice from some other place if we have high-quality rice in the brotherly country? So, that decision was clearly based on our brotherly relations,” the Azeri media quoted the president as saying.

Commenting further, the Azerbaijan president said that his country enjoyed excellent relations with Pakistan.

President Aliyev said: “We are very grateful to Pakistan for the continuous support which the country demonstrates with respect to Azerbaijan-Armenia relations. 

"During the times of occupation, during the war, and after the liberation of our territories, Pakistan was always with us. And this political and moral support is highly appreciated by the people of Azerbaijan.”

He said that he knew that the Gwadar Port of Pakistan was transforming into a big international hub.

Reacting to the decision, PM Shehbaz thanked Azerbaijan’s president for the five-year tax exemption on the import of rice from Pakistan.

“Pakistan and Azerbaijan will work on boosting economic cooperation through rail and Gwadar port,” the prime minister says.

I am thankful to H.E. @presidentaz Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan, for approving the tax exemption on the import of Pakistani rice for five years. Our two brotherly countries will work to promote economic cooperation & connectivity through road, rail & Gwadar port. 🇵🇰 🇦🇿

— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) November 26, 2022