Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan Strengthen Economic Ties Through SME Collaboration

Economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan is expanding across various sectors, particularly in small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) development.

Azernews reports that this was stated by Orkhan Mammadov, Chairman of the Board of the Small and Medium Business Development Agency of Azerbaijan (SMBDA/KOBIA), during the panel session titled "Azerbaijan - Uzbekistan: Vector of Economic Partnership" at the 4th Tashkent International Investment Forum.

Mammadov highlighted that since the last forum, SMBDA has been actively working to deepen business ties between the two countries:

“Our cooperation is developing along two key directions - business support and institutional partnership. This year, with SMBDA's support and in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan, we helped organize a business mission for an Azerbaijani delegation to Tashkent and other cities. The delegation included around 40 representatives from various sectors of Azerbaijan's economy.”

He noted the mission was particularly significant because many of the entrepreneurs already had prior collaboration experience with their Uzbek counterparts.

“Some of them are already implementing joint projects on the ground. For example, one Azerbaijani company has opened a store in Tashkent specializing in aesthetic medical equipment and dental technology.”

Mammadov emphasized that these developments demonstrate how dialogue between the two countries is translating into practical outcomes:

“Business missions like these provide entrepreneurs not only with an understanding of market dynamics but also the opportunity to establish lasting partnerships. Sectors involved include construction, tourism, logistics, food production, textiles, ICT, advertising, accounting services, and more. These visits contribute to stronger B2B potential and a deeper understanding of the business environment.”

He also noted ongoing efforts to support Uzbek businesses in Azerbaijan:

“Since December 2023, with SMBDA's support, the Uzbekistan Trade House has been operating in Baku. Its mission is to increase the presence of Uzbek products in Azerbaijan and help establish reliable business partnerships. We see this initiative as a gateway for Uzbek products to access regional and European markets through Azerbaijan.”

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