BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 19. Belarus aims to
double its trade turnover with Azerbaijan in the field of light
industry, Chairperson of the Bellegprom Concern, Tatyana Lugina,
said in an exclusive interview with Trend on the sidelines of a business meeting
between the concern’s delegation and representatives of
Azerbaijan’s business community in Baku.
“We reviewed the cooperation with our Azerbaijani partners in
terms of trade turnover in the light industry sector between our
countries. As part of diversifying export supplies from Belarusian
light industry enterprises, we have planned to work more
systematically on this market in 2025 and to promote our products
through marketing tools.
Despite certain achievements, the current trade turnover in
light industry stands at around $5 million, which remains
relatively low and has significant potential for growth. Of course,
we would like to at least double this figure. However, even a 20-30
percent annual growth would already be considered a success. We
need to meet more regularly, strengthen cooperation, and actively
promote our products. For Belarusian light industry to be properly
represented in the market, there should be dedicated retail stores
offering a broad range of Belarusian goods in one place,” she
said.
Lugina emphasized that Azerbaijan is a growing market with
steady demand, particularly for high-quality textiles.
“Traditions such as tea gatherings, large family get-togethers,
and a strong sense of home comfort hold a special place in
Azerbaijani society. That is why our textiles can meet these
expectations in terms of both quality and relevance — and can help
win and strengthen Azerbaijani consumers’ loyalty to Belarusian
products.
We are placing particular emphasis on linen, as linen products
are in high demand across global markets. Leading international
brands — Turkish, Indian, Italian, French, Belgian — offer similar
products, but at significantly higher prices. Our products have a
competitive price advantage. Therefore, we need to rethink our
approach to market presence: promote ourselves more boldly,
actively advance our products, and develop our own retail network
here,” the Bellegprom head added.
According to Lugina, the primary objective now is to find
partners for establishing joint trade enterprises — specifically,
to open stores specializing in linen products and a dedicated linen
trade center in Baku.
“This would allow us to showcase a wide range of Belarusian
linen products — from home textiles to clothing. We are actively
working on this direction at the moment. Another key focus is the
promotion of our technical textiles, particularly products from
Mogotex. We are confident that these products can also carve out a
niche in the Azerbaijani market.
We already have many years of experience working with several
Azerbaijani sewing enterprises that produce uniforms and workwear
for various government and industrial sectors. Unfortunately, in
recent years, these ties have somewhat weakened, and cooperation
has become less active. However, we are committed to restoring and
expanding this partnership — through negotiations, business
contacts, and, most importantly, by leveraging the strengths of
both our countries,” the Bellegprom head added.
According to her, the goal is to establish sustainable
cooperation, including in the production of clothing for various
sectors in Azerbaijan.
“We are talking about garments that could be manufactured in
Azerbaijan using Belarusian fabrics and then used, for instance, in
the oil refining sector, the military, customs services, or the
construction industry. Today, we discussed this entire range of
issues and have already outlined the first steps — both in terms of
intentions and further development of potential cooperation.
We also presented the products of our porcelain factory. I
understand that Azerbaijan today is a country with significant
tourism potential. Business contacts are rapidly developing here,
and many business meetings are held. The country has a large number
of modern and historical hotels, resorts, and health centers.
Therefore, restaurant and tableware, as well as textiles for the
hospitality sector, are also of interest and in high demand. We
presented this area of production as well,” Lugina said.
She reminded that a memorandum of cooperation was signed between
the Bellegprom concern and the Azerbaijan Small and Medium Business
Development Association.
“This document opens up new opportunities for industrial
cooperation, technology exchange, the creation of joint ventures,
and the promotion of products in both markets. As I mentioned
earlier, although the association unites businesses from various
sectors, we agreed with its leadership that in the coming weeks,
companies from this business community related to the light
industry — both commercial and manufacturing — will be
selected.
We are talking about companies operating in areas such as
leather, footwear, haberdashery, textiles, garment production, as
well as retail outlets engaged in the sale of clothing and related
products. This targeted approach will allow us to build more
focused cooperation and begin working on concrete formats of
collaboration,” said the head of Bellegprom.
She also noted that, following the negotiations, the Belarusian
company Mogotex signed a fabric supply agreement with the Baku
Sewing House.
In conclusion, she announced the upcoming traditional national
exhibition of light industry goods, scheduled for the first ten
days of October.
“It will take place at the newly opened international exhibition
center BelExpo in Minsk. The venue will offer extensive exhibition
space, and we would be pleased to welcome representatives of
Azerbaijan’s light industry — possibly as part of a unified
national stand or in another suitable format,” said Tatyana
Lugina.