President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva attended opening of non-alcoholic beverage production facility in Jabrayil district - PHOTO

On November 6, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva attended the opening of a non-alcoholic beverage production facility operated by Sunbeverage LLC in the Jabrayil district.

Tahir Gozel, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Azersun Holding, briefed the head of state and the First Lady on the facility.

Established by the Holding in the East Zangezur Economic Region, the facility will produce sparkling and still water, iced teas, fruit-infused beverages, as well as vitamin-enriched and low-calorie drinks. Covering an area of 10 hectares, the enterprise has an annual production capacity of 150,000 tons. Its products are intended for both the domestic market and export. Modern equipment manufactured in Italy has been installed at the facility. The production process includes water purification, syrup preparation, blending, carbonation, filling into plastic bottles and transparent food-grade containers, capping, labeling, and packaging.

The total project cost amounts to AZN 70 million. In addition to private investment and bank loans, the project has benefited from a concessional loan of AZN 5 million provided with the support of the Azerbaijan Business Development Fund (ABDF) under the Ministry of Economy, as well as an additional AZN 5 million loan supported through a guarantee and interest rate subsidy mechanism. The enterprise will create 300 permanent jobs.

In addition to contributing to the development of the food industry in the East Zangezur Economic Region, the facility will play an important role in creating local employment opportunities. The project will also directly contribute to expanding the country's export potential.