.png)
2 weeks ago
17
Doha, November 24 (QNA) - Qatar Chamber hosted on Monday the first meeting of the Qatar-Azerbaijan Joint Business Council in the attendance of HE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs, Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Sayed; HE Minister of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Kamaladdin Heydarov; and Second Vice-Chairman of Qatar Chamber, Mohamed bin Twar Al Kuwari.
The council meeting was co-chaired by Dr. Mohammed bin Jawhar Al Mohammed, Qatar Chamber Board Member and Chairman of the Qatari Side, and Orkhan Mammadov, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBIA) and Head of the Azerbaijani Side, in the presence of members from both sides.
The meeting discussed the abundant cooperation opportunities between the Qatari and Azerbaijani business sectors across various fields, as well as the investment climate and the opportunities available for companies in both countries.
In his remarks, Mohamed bin Twar Al Kuwari said that the business Council confirms the common keenness of both sides to strengthen economic ties and open broader horizons for cooperation in various commercial and investment sectors, pointing out that relations between Qatar and Azerbaijan have witnessed tangible development over the past years.
He noted that the Joint Council is not just a platform for consultation, but rather an effective bridge to connect the business community in the two countries, enabling companies to exchange experiences, explore promising opportunities, and build strategic partnerships that serve the interests of the private sector and support joint economic development.
Twar also expressed his confidence that the Council would contribute to facilitating the flow of mutual investments, enhancing bilateral trade, and creating a more attractive environment for investors in both countries, especially in high-potential sectors such as agriculture, energy, logistics, tourism, technology, food industries, and others, stressing the Chamber's readiness to provide all forms of support to businessmen from both sides, facilitate communication between them, and encourage joint initiatives and projects that benefit the economies of both countries.
For his paert, HE Kamaladdin Heydarov stated that the first meeting of the Joint Business Council represents a new boost to the friendship and mutual trust between the two countries-an advancement that will positively impact the business community, particularly the private sector.
He noted that discussions between the two sides are ongoing to enhance the mechanisms for developing trade relations through the Joint Economic, Trade, and Technical Committee. He expressed his confidence that the Qatar–Azerbaijan Business Council will play a pivotal role in strengthening trade relations between the private sectors of both countries.
For his part, Dr. Mohammed Jawhar Al Mohammed, Chairman of the Qatari side at the Council, said that the Council reflects the keenness of both friendly countries to enhance economic and trade cooperation relations between them, stressing that they have strong and growing relations that include various fields, especially economic and trade, supported by many cooperation agreements and MoU signed between both nations.
He noted that despite this, the volume of trade exchange is still below expectations, as it amounted to only about QAR 10 million last year. He pointed out that recent years have witnessed a remarkable growth in economic relations, as the two sides succeeded in developing cooperation in vital sectors such as agriculture, food security, energy, and tourism, in addition to the increasing interest of Qatari companies in investing in the promising Azerbaijani market.
Al Mohammed also stressed the Qatar Chamber's keenness to enhance partnership between the private sector in both countries, especially in promising sectors such as trade, agriculture, energy, tourism and food industries, stressing that the formation and activation of the Joint Business Council is an important platform for enhancing communication between businessmen, encouraging the establishment of joint investment projects, and exploring new opportunities in various fields.
The head of the Qatari side expressed the Chamber's readiness to support communication between business owners and facilitate the establishment of joint projects that contribute to the development of our economies and support the aspirations of our two countries to achieve sustainable development, calling on business owners from Qatar and Azerbaijan to take advantage of the available opportunities and incentives provided by both sides and enter into effective trade alliances and partnerships that benefit the economy of each of them.
In turn, Chairman of KOBIA and Head of the Azerbaijani side, Orkhan Mammadov said that the Council meeting represents an important step in Qatar-Azerbaijan economic relations, which both sides are keen to enhance through cooperation and partnerships in several key sectors, most notably agriculture, tourism, technology, and others.
He noted that the Council will serve as a platform enabling entrepreneurs to communicate, explore the potential for joint projects, and promote the products and services offered by companies in both countries.
Mammadov added that the Azerbaijani delegation participating in the meeting includes several entities involved in investment in Azerbaijan, in addition to 30 companies, reflecting Azerbaijan's strong interest in developing economic and trade cooperation and the desire of Azerbaijani companies to enter the Qatari market and establish partnerships with Qatari businesses.
He affirmed KOBIA's full readiness to assist Qatari businessmen and investors wishing to invest in Azerbaijan, establish projects there, and benefit from the country's economic advantages and investment incentives.
During the meeting, both sides delivered several presentations on the investment opportunities available in each country. Nasser Al Kaabi, from the Investment Promotion Agency Qatar (Invest Qatar), gave a presentation on Qatar's investment climate, while Aisha Al Mulla, from Qatar Tourism, presented an overview of Qatar's tourism sector.
For its part, the Azerbaijani side delivered presentations highlighting investment opportunities in Azerbaijan, including those available in the Alat Free Economic Zone. (QNA)
