An Action plan is signed between KOSGEB and Azerbaijan Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBİA).

The president of KOSGEB Prof. Dr. Cevahir Uzkurt, coalesced with the president of KOBİA Orhan Memmedov while having contacts in Bakü. The two presidents signed the action plan between the two institutions.

The president of KOBİA Orhan Memmedov stated the great experience of KOSGEB in supporting small and medium sized enterprises and emphasized their willingness to benefit from these experiences.

During the signing ceremony, KOSGEB President Prof. Dr. Cevahir Uzkurt declared: ‘With the document we have signed today we made it concrete on What will be the steps of the parties in the next period and what our responsibilities are. We will ensure the integration of the SMEs of the two countries. As institutions of the two countries, we will work to increase the investments. Particularly, we will endeavor to the Turkish SMEs to reach to the Asian markets via Azerbaijan along with Azerbaijani SMEs, and the SMEs in Azerbaijan to reach together with the Turkish SMEs to the European and the African markets via Turkey. If we can cooperate effectively, we think that we will play a very effective role in the region with the development of the trade between the two countries. The presidents of the institutions both stated that the activities to be carried out within the scope of the action plan that is signed will contribute significantly to the increase in the trade volume of the two countries. During the bilateral talks, improving the trade between Turkey and Azerbaijan and a target of 15 billion dollars for 2023 was determined for the foreign market activities to be carried out by the SMEs of the two countries together.   

The main headings of the plan, which includes the works to be carried out by the two institutions in the coming period, are as follows:

• Information transfer workshop and due diligence in Azerbaijan,
• Expert exchanges for short terms,
• Exchange of information about the Business Development Program,
• Exchange of information on impact analysis and the SME competence system,
• Long-term expert exchange on SME support policies and practices,
• Entrepreneurship trainings and training of the trainers,
• the identification of priority sectors for SMEs in Turkey and Azerbaijan,
• Organizing informational meetings for SMEs and the other relevant participants on investment environment, opportunities and potentials,
• Exchange of information about fairs, exhibitions, seminars, etc. and announcement of this information to SMEs,
• Organizing B2B events within the participation of the international fairs and exhibitions,
• To carry out preparatory work for the establishment of the Turkey and Azerbaijan SME Development Fund

The two presidents later met with the managers of various companies and banks which are operating in Azerbaijan.