BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 15. Azerbaijan is becoming an increasingly important logistics hub connecting Europe, Central Asia, China and the Middle East, an official from the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Agency (AZPROMO) said, Trend's correspondent reports from the event.

Speaking at the Azerbaijan-Slovakia Business Forum in Baku, Emin Guliyev, head of the Investor Relations Department at AZPROMO’s Investment Promotion Division, said Azerbaijan plays an important role in global transport routes by helping reduce time and costs.

"As global supply chains diversify, Azerbaijan is becoming an increasingly important logistics hub connecting Europe, Central Asia, China and the Middle East. Azerbaijan plays an important role in global transport routes, providing time and cost savings of up to 70% between China and Europe, while the North-South Corridor reduces delivery times by up to 60% compared with traditional routes," he said.

Guliyev said that more than 21,000 kilometers of roads and highways have been built or reconstructed in Azerbaijan as part of efforts to develop transport infrastructure. The country operates nine international airports, including three newly built airports in territories that were previously under occupation.

He noted that Azerbaijan’s railway infrastructure includes the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, which connects the Caspian region with Europe. Meanwhile, the Baku International Sea Trade Port, the largest port on the Caspian Sea, has an annual handling capacity of 15 million metric tons of cargo, with potential for further expansion.