At a press conference hosted by the Geneva Press Club, the ambassador of Azerbaijan to Switzerland Mr. Fuad Isgandarov spoke about the future of Azerbaijan and cooperation with Switzerland in several segments that cover economic development, good governance, and the rule of law.
Due to the fact that the Swiss Cooperation Strategy for South Caucasus 2017–20 marked great success, EurAsia Business Today asked if Mr. Isgandarov believes that the 2022-2025 will yield similar results.
We also asked him if there are any new initiatives in sight to further expand the cooperation in other segments despite those covered in the Strategy for South Caucasus.
Do you believe that the new Cooperation Programme for the period 2022-2025 will yield similar results, and do you see any new initiatives in sight to further expand the cooperation in other segments in addition to economic development, good governance, and the rule of law?
Mr. Isgandarov said that they are working very closely with their partners and that recently the intragovernmental commission was part of a business forum, where numerous companies whether those working in Azerbaijan or the ones that operate in Switzerland.
He mentioned that a new Swiss-Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce and Industry has just been established in Switzerland.
“Concerning the one issue which is really important, a new Swiss-Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce and Industry has been established here in Geneva. The event happened on 21st of September and we are very optimistic about its activities because, frankly speaking, although big companies are very active, we need to go further with small and medium companies and that is the main direction of our cooperation,” Ambassador Isgandarov stated.
Isgandarov mentioned the activities of big companies such as Stadler, SOCAR Trading, and Socar Energy that have their operations in Switzerland, but emphasized the need to support small and medium companies is of strong importance.
The ambassador also mentioned that innovation is at the forefront of their efforts to expand the cooperation further. He said that recently many innovative companies visited Azerbaijan and explored the industries there, and those visits turned out to be very successful.
Mr. Isgandarov also covered the topic of alternative energy saying that this segment is of utmost priority for Azerbaijan as well.
“Alternative energy is the second priority. Azerbaijan has a very ambitious take on it because we understand that the future is not only about oil and gas but also it is about alternative energy.”
He pointed out that they work very closely and thoroughly with their Swiss partners in this direction.
“I do hope that you will hear a lot of news about this dimension of our cooperation,” he added.
Regarding the Swiss Cooperation Strategy for South Caucasus 2022–2025, he said that they are open to any kind of cooperation, but emphasized that Azerbaijan is a self-sustainable country.
“Azerbaijan’s economical self-sufficiency allows the country to support our European partners and friends in the most difficult and challenging times and we are doing our job well,” he concluded.
