By Trend

Turkic Business Forum dedicated to the restoration and development of Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region was held in Shusha on September 16, Azerbaijan's Small and Medium Business Development Agency (SMBDA) told Trend.

The forum was held with joint organizational support of the Organization of Turkic States, the Turkish Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan, the SMBDA and the National Confederation of Entrepreneurs’ (Employers’) Organizations of Azerbaijan.

Apart from Azerbaijan, four founding member states of the Organization of Turkic States (Türkiye, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan), Hungarian observer public agencies, as well as representatives of other bodies, the diplomatic corps, and businessmen took part in the event.

The forum aimed to further enhance economic, business, and investment ties between the Turkic states, promote a dialogue between entrepreneurs, as well as present the economic and investment potential of the Karabakh region to foreign businessmen.

In the beginning, the event observed minute's silence in memory of the martyrs who died for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

Among the forum participants were Minister of Agriculture of Azerbaijan Inam Karimov, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States Baghdad Amreyev, Deputy Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Sahib Mammadov, President of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB) Rifat Hisarciklioglu, President of the National Confederation of Entrepreneurs' (Employers') Organizations of Azerbaijan Mammad Musayev, Chairman of SMBDA Management Board Orkhan Mammadov, Chairman of the Council of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Kyrgyzstan Kubanychbek Kasymaliev, and Deputy Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan Farhodjon Toshpulatov.

The forum raised issues of economic, trade, and investment cooperation between the Turkic-speaking states, as well as engagement of business entities in the reconstruction and development of Azerbaijan's liberated territories. Moreover, the participants explored ways of collaborating in the relevant fields and interacting in the public-private sector.

Special Representative of the Azerbaijani President for Shusha Aydin Karimov, Chairman of the Executive Board of the Karabakh Revival Fund Rahman Hajiyev, Acting Executive Director of the Export and Investment Promotion Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (AZPROMO) Yusif Abdullayev, Chairman of the Economic Zones Development Agency Elshad Nuriyev delivered speeches at the special session on "Investment opportunities in the Karabakh and East Zangazur Economic Regions" as part of the event.

Bilateral meetings on green infrastructure, agriculture, food, renewable energy, textiles, tourism, mining, and ICT were held during the event.

Later, the Council of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Kyrgyzstan and the National Confederation of Entrepreneurs' (Employers') Organizations of Azerbaijan signed an agreement on establishing the Azerbaijan-Kyrgyzstan Business Council, whereas the Uzbekistan Business Development Association and Azerbaijan's SMBDA approved roadmap for implementing joint activities.

In addition, Memorandums of understanding were also signed between the 'Women's Entrepreneurship Development Association' Public Union and the Turkish 'Kut Trade' company, Baku Textile Factory LLC, and the Inmak Group of Companies of Türkiye signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs).

The attendants visited the Shusha fortress, Jidir Duzu, Molla Panah Vagif's museum-mausoleum, saw busts of of notable Azerbaijani personalities, which were also subjected to Armenian aggression