Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) had successfully organized “Business Opportunities Conference” in Baku, which was attended by a large number of business community of Azerbaijan. A delegation of 115 members led by Muhammad Shakeel Munir, President ICCI visited Azerbaijan comprised of various sectors including marble & granite, construction & real estate, building materials, pharmaceuticals, textiles, light engineering, IT & telecom, food, healthcare etc. Sahib Mammadov, Deputy Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan was the Chief Guest of BOC. H.E. Bilal Hayee, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Khurram Javaid Bhatti President Pak-Azerbaijan Economic Cooperation Chamber and Yusif Abdullayev Acting President Export & Investment Promotion Agency of Azerbaijan were also present at the occasion. Sahib Mammadov, Deputy Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan welcomed the ICCI business delegation and said that their visit would open a new window of growing trade and economic relations between Azerbaijan and Pakistan. He said that a business delegation of Azerbaijan would also visit Pakistan in coming months to further strengthen business linkages between the two countries and ICCI should host them.

H.E.Bilal Hayee, Ambassador of Pakistan to Azerbaijan lauded ICCI for bringing a big delegation to Azerbaijan and hoped that it would strengthen business linkages between the two countries and help improve bilateral trade ties. He said that after the start of direct flights, efforts were afoot to establish road links between Pakistan and Azerbaijan that would help in improving bilateral trade relations as well.

The representatives of the Small and Medium Business Development Agency of Azerbaijan said that his country was offering good incentives to local and foreign SMEs and invited Pakistani SMEs to set up their businesses in Azerbaijan and export their products to the huge market of Central Asian States. An Agreement of Cooperation was signed between Pak-Azerbaijan Economic Cooperation Chamber (PAKAZCHAM) and Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) to promote business linkages between the private sectors of Pakistan and Azerbaijan. ICCI also discussed the possibilities of establishment of a warehouse in Baku with SMB to display Pakistani marble and granite products. Khurram Javaid Bhatti President and Yusif Abdullayev Acting President Export & Investment Promotion Agency of Azerbaijan also spoke at the occasion and hoped that the visit of ICCI delegation would start a new chapter of growing business and investment relations between Pakistan and Azerbaijan.

A cake cutting ceremony was also held to celebrate the 30 years of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Azerbaijan.