The Executive Director of the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (CAERC), Vusal Gasimli, today delivered a speech on behalf of the Azerbaijani delegation at the IV Eastern Partnership Business Forum, held in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. In his address, he mainly focused on the economic reform process being implemented in Azerbaijan and presented these reforms to the European public. Key reform measures highlighted included the improvement of the business environment, the provision of investment incentives, the establishment of industrial parks, agroparks and technoparks, the creation of industrial districts, and the implementation of strategic roadmaps.

He stated:

“As a result of the economic reforms carried out under the leadership of Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan’s positions in international rankings have strengthened. The country’s rise by two places to 35th position in the **World Economic Forum (WEF) 2017–2018 Global Competitiveness Index is a direct outcome of these reforms.”

Vusal Gasimli also addressed issues of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the European Union, noting that Azerbaijan is the EU’s largest trading partner in the South Caucasus and the country in the region that has attracted the highest volume of European investment. He emphasized that cooperation between Azerbaijan and the European Union in the energy sector plays a crucial role in ensuring Europe’s energy security.

It was further noted that, within the framework of the conference, Azerbaijan’s efforts toward economic digitalization were met with great interest. In particular, it was emphasized that Europe’s first Digital Trade Hub was established in Azerbaijan and that the Azexport portal has been integrated with leading global e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Alibaba, eBay, TradeKey, and All.biz. The integration of logistics and transportation companies, including DHL, FedEx, and TNT, with the Azexport portal was also highlighted. The Executive Director of CAERC noted that Azerbaijan and the European Union are currently cooperating on the mutual recognition of each other’s digital signatures, which will, in the future, enable joint contributions to the creation of a unified digital signature system across Europe.

During the IV Eastern Partnership Business Forum, participants were also informed about the establishment of the “One-Stop Export Support Center” in Azerbaijan. In the course of panel discussions, particular emphasis was placed on the tangible results of economic reforms, the increased competitiveness of the national economy, and improvements in Azerbaijan’s positions in international rankings.