BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 21. Slovak firms
can contribute to post-conflict demining, adopted by
reconstruction and infrastructure digitalization on Azerbaijan’s
liberated territories, Filip Šandor, Vice-Chairman of EXPORT
ANALYTICA, a Slovak analytical platform created by the Council of
Slovak Exporters, mentioned in an interview with Development.
“The post-conflict setting has created clear and tangible
alternatives for cooperation, and curiosity from Slovak firms
is already evident,” Šandor famous. “Reconstruction isn’t a brand new
discipline for Slovakia, as comparable efforts are already beneath manner in
Ukraine”.
In Azerbaijan, consideration is concentrated particularly on logistics
and development, because the area is predicted to become an
essential junction of worldwide transport corridors. “Past
tools, Slovak firms can contribute to post-conflict
demining, adopted by reconstruction and infrastructure
digitalization, that are important for creating new transport
corridors and power hyperlinks,” he added.
Slovak engagement has moved past political declarations to
sensible cooperation by means of a pilot “good village” mission in
Karabakh. “This preliminary involvement is seen as the start line
of longer-term cooperation, particularly as Azerbaijan plans to
develop extra such good villages within the coming years,” Šandor
mentioned.
From the angle of export diversification, Azerbaijan
represents a extremely engaging and dynamic accomplice marketplace for
Slovak exporters. “The nation has demonstrated exceptional
macroeconomic efficiency, with GDP development exceeding 4% in 2024. At
the identical time, Slovakia is looking for to diversify its export
locations, that are at the moment closely EU-oriented, round 85%.
Mutual commerce between the 2 nations nonetheless stays very
low, pointing to vital untapped potential,” he defined.
At the moment, the automotive sector accounts for roughly 85% of
Slovak exports to Azerbaijan, however Šandor highlighted alternatives
in different segments, significantly energy-related tools.
“Central-heating boilers and meters for gasoline, liquids, and
electrical energy symbolize vital potential for export development,” he
mentioned.
Šandor emphasised the potential for power and defence
cooperation. “In power, rising demand and infrastructure
modernisation in Azerbaijan create alternatives for Slovak
firms within the discipline of renewable power applied sciences, and in addition
in upgrading power services and supplying full technological
options for power and industrial initiatives”.
On defence cooperation, he mentioned, “Azerbaijan and Slovakia agreed
final 12 months to determine joint ventures within the defence business,
together with plans to relocate a part of the manufacturing on to
Azerbaijan and act as companions collectively looking for to market these
merchandise overseas. At the moment, Slovak defence exports are rising
exponentially, making such cooperation strategically and
economically useful for either side”. Cooperation can be
creating between armed forces within the areas of army training,
coaching, and workouts.
Past defence, cooperation is increasing in ICT and different excessive
value-added sectors, together with good metropolis options, safety and
air-traffic administration programs, industrial tools, logistics,
automation, and good manufacturing. Šandor additionally famous
alternatives in water administration, medical and pharmaceutical
applied sciences, meals processing and agribusiness, transport,
training, and tourism, providing broad scope for export
diversification and sustainable long-term cooperation.
From a geoeconomic and safety perspective, Šandor highlighted
Azerbaijan’s position in diversifying pure gasoline provides and transit
routes. “For Azerbaijan, oil accounted for roughly 99% of its complete
exports to Slovakia in 2024,” he mentioned. “As highlighted by the
Slovak Prime Minister, this position has turn out to be much more essential in
the context of RePowerEU, which goals to finish imports of Russian gasoline
to the EU by 2027. Though Slovakia, along with Hungary, has
expressed reservations about this method, the coverage would
finally apply to all EU member states. Azerbaijani gasoline due to this fact
represents one of many life like options for assembly heavy
pure gasoline demand in complete Central Europe, as all V4 nations
depend on pure gasoline, which accounts for about 15–30% of complete
provide and 15–27% of ultimate consumption”.
Šandor additionally underlined alternatives in inexperienced power.
“Azerbaijan plans to considerably enhance the share of
different and renewable power sources in its major power
consumption throughout all sectors, in step with its socio-economic
growth priorities as much as 2030. The nation is actively
increasing its renewable power capability, opening house for
cooperation in inexperienced power applied sciences and power effectivity
options. Given this, Slovakia has robust and rising capabilities
in warmth pump manufacturing. This positions Slovak firms nicely to
provide tools and know-how for heating decarbonization,
alongside applied sciences for power effectivity,” he mentioned.
He famous that central-heating boilers and meters for gasoline,
liquids, and electrical energy, which collectively account for about
7% of Slovakia’s exports to Azerbaijan, are immediately linked to
modernization and digitalization of power networks. “On the similar
time, Azerbaijan’s state-led modernization of electrical energy grids,
heating networks, and its funding in renewable power photo voltaic and
hydropower initiatives create additional alternatives for Slovak
firms,” Šandor added.
Though Slovakia has lengthy declared its intention to strengthen
relations with the South Caucasus, significantly within the financial
sphere, mutual commerce has remained restricted, with the area
accounting on common for under about 0.01% of complete Slovak imports
over the previous 30 years. “Nonetheless, lately, relations with
Azerbaijan could be described as essentially the most intensive in our historical past,”
Šandor concluded.
