Athens and Baku are seeking to give new impetus to the economic relations between Greece and Azerbaijan, expanding their cooperation beyond the traditionally strong energy sector and turning their interest to trade, investments, infrastructure, transport, digital technologies, agri-food and tourism.
In Athens, the 6th Session of the joint interministerial committee on Economic, Industrial and Technological Cooperation between Greece and Azerbaijan was held, as well as the business conference of the two countries, the first since 2013.
The conference was organized by the General Secretariat for International Economic Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Enterprise Greece and the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Agency (AZPROMO).
The proceedings were opened by Deputy Foreign Minister Haris Theoharis and Azerbaijan’s Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov, followed by presentations on the possibilities for business and investment cooperation. Dozens of businesses and organizations from the two countries participated in the conference, and more than 100 business meetings (B2B) were held, focusing on exploring specific investment and trade partnerships.
In their bilateral meeting, Messrs. Theoharis and Shahbazov examined the prospects for further development of economic relations, with a focus on energy, trade, investments and connectivity.
Particular emphasis was placed on the strategic role of energy cooperation and on Greece’s position as the gateway of the South Caucasus to the European market. Also on the table were the possibilities for strengthening the energy and transport interconnections linking Europe with the South Caucasus and Central Asia.
At the same time, the two sides examined the expansion of cooperation in agri-food, infrastructure, digital technologies, renewable energy sources and tourism. The strengthening of the Athens - Baku air connection was also discussed, as a factor that can support both business contacts and tourist flows.
At the plenary session of the joint interministerial committee, under the co-chairmanship of Theoharis and Shahbazov, an assessment was made of the progress achieved since the previous session, which had taken place in Baku two years ago.
On the agenda were trade and investments, industry, small and medium-sized enterprises, infrastructure, tourism, agriculture and food, as well as road, maritime, port and air transport. Digital technologies, space, the environment and cooperation between the customs authorities of the two countries were also discussed.
The proceedings were concluded with the signing of the Protocol of the 6th Session, as well as the Joint Action Program of Greece - Azerbaijan for Tourism 2026-2028.
The program provides for joint actions for sustainable tourism, digitalization and innovation, investments and tourism education, shaping the framework for cooperation between the two countries in this sector for the next two years.
SOURCE:ANA-MPA