Azerbaijani business community celebrated “Entrepreneurs’ Day”

An appeal to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, was accepted on behalf of the participants of the conference on “A new era of socio-economic development of Azerbaijan”.

As known, 22 years ago – on April 25, 2002, national leader Heydar Aliyev had historical meetings with local entrepreneurs, and in May with foreign businessmen. According to the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mr. Ilham Aliyev dated April 21, 2016, April 25 has been celebrated as “Entrepreneurs’ Day” in our country for 9 years.

“Socio-economic development of Azerbaijan” conference was held on the theme “new era of development” in connection with “Entrepreneurs’ Day” and the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Azerbaijan Entrepreneurs Confederation, on April 25, by the Ministry of Economy, the Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBIA) and the National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers) Organizations of Azerbaijan.

Firstly, the participants of the event visited the grave of the national leader Heydar Aliyev in Alley of Honor and placed a wreath in front of the monument, commemorating his memory with respect. The participants of the conference also paid tribute to the memory of our heroes who died for the independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan in Martyrs’ Alley and laid a wreath at the “Eternal Torch” complex.

The conference began with the singing of the national anthem of Azerbaijan and a minute’s silence in memory of our martyrs who died for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

The event was attended by heads of relevant state institutions, representatives of public associations of entrepreneurs, as well as businessmen from various fields.

Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov (video address), Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population Sahil Babayev, First Deputy Minister of Economy Elnur Aliyev, Chairman of the Board of Directors of KOBIA Orkhan Mammadov, President of the National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers) Organizations of Azerbaijan Mammad Musayev, founder and CEO of “Huner Group” Ehtiram Guliyev made speeches at the conference. In the speeches, the role of the great leader in the formation and development of the economy, including the private sector, based on the principles of market relations in our country, the successful continuation of this policy under the leadership of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mr. Ilham Aliyev, the development of the private sector, the role of entrepreneurs in social welfare and employment, the development of small and medium-sized businesses priority, the importance of public-private dialogue were reported.

Films on the development of entrepreneurship and the 25th anniversary of ASK were displayed at the event, and a group of entrepreneurs was awarded for their contribution to the development of public-private dialogue.

At the end of the conference, an appeal to President Ilham Aliyev was accepted on behalf of the conference participants.

The event ended with the artistic part.

Mr. Mammad Musayev, president of the Azerbaijan Entrepreneurs Confederation, made a speech at the Conference dedicated to the “Entrepreneur’s Day” and the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Azerbaijan Entrepreneurs Confederation on the topic of “A new era of socio-economic development of Azerbaijan”

Dear conference participants, ladies and gentlemen!

I greet you on behalf of the Azerbaijan Entrepreneurs Confederation!

The basis of the current sustainable development and comprehensive progress of the Republic of Azerbaijan was laid by the national leader of our nation, Heydar Aliyev.

Meetings of the national leader with entrepreneurs, directly hearing from them what problems they are facing and giving exact tasks, decrees and orders to solve them in a short period of time, and accepting state programs were a manifestation of high attention to the representatives of the private sector.

The meetings held on April 25, 2002 with local and May 14, 2002 with foreign businessmen can be an example of such meetings. At these meetings, the ways of entrepreneurship development were examined, concrete measures were determined to eliminate the obstacles that hinder this development, and the State Programs related to the development of entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan were approved for the next years.

Taking into account the important historical importance of these meetings in the development of Azerbaijani entrepreneurship, as well as the growing role of entrepreneurs in the economy of the country, the exceptional importance of the development of entrepreneurship in ensuring employment, according to the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mr. Ilham Aliyev dated April 21, 2016, April 25 every year in Azerbaijan it is celebrated as “Entrepreneurs’ Day”.

During the past years, the development of entrepreneurship for the stability of the economy in Azerbaijan has been the focus of attention of the President of the country as a priority direction, and important successes have been achieved in this field.

The development of business and entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan, the creation of favorable conditions for business, and state promotion mechanisms, especially our victory in the 44-day Patriotic War and the 23-hour local anti-terrorist operation, have further increased the determination of us entrepreneurs to work.

The President of the country, Ilham Aliyev, who successfully continued the political and economic course of Heydar Aliyev, correctly defined the national development priorities and mobilized all the potential of the country in the direction of strengthening intellectual resources and human capital.

In one of his speeches, the President addressed local entrepreneurs and said: “I will try to give you maximum freedom. To the maximum extent, opportunities should be created so that you can continue your activities freely, freely and comfortably.” Today, we can say that Azerbaijani entrepreneurs feel this constantly in their daily work.

Thus, uncertainties and risks of recession in the world economy have increased in recent years. Problems in the supply chain, as well as the increase in the prices of energy carriers and food products, have caused global inflation to rise to a high level. Against the background of the mentioned processes, high growth dynamics in the economy of Azerbaijan continues.

As a result of the successful policy implemented by the head of state, in the first three months of 2024, compared to the same period of the previous year, the country produced 4 percent more gross domestic product, especially in the non-oil and gas sector of the economy, an increase of about 7 percent was observed. In this period, the volume of investments directed to the non-oil and gas sector increased by 4.8 percent, and 80 percent of the investments directed to the main capital were internal investments, which is a real indicator of the development of entrepreneurship in the country.

As a result of the large-scale works carried out in the country, entrepreneurs have become the leading force of the country’s economy. As a result of the implementation of state support measures for entrepreneurship, important achievements have been achieved, the development of state-entrepreneur relations, the formation of the system of state regulation of entrepreneurship, the creation of fertile conditions for the development of entrepreneurship in regions as well as large cities, the share of the private sector in the Gross Domestic Product is 83.5 percent, and its share in employment has been approximately 78 percent.

As a result of the systematic measures implemented in the field of entrepreneurship development, in 2023, Azerbaijan was ranked at the top of the rankings of prestigious international organizations in terms of economic indicators.

Thus, Fitch Rating, an international credit rating agency, positively assessed the long-term rating of the Republic of Azerbaijan in local and foreign currency and stated that the forecast has increased from “stable” to “positive”.

As it is known, in the extraordinary presidential elections held in February of this year, Azerbaijani entrepreneurs made their choice and unequivocally voted for Mr. Ilham Aliyev.

Because the past 20 years have proven that Ilham Aliyev, being the President of every citizen of Azerbaijan, is the leader whom Azerbaijani entrepreneurs have infinite love for and always recognize as an irreplaceable leader, and count as a title of trust and confidence.

At the end of the presidential elections, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, in his speech at the swearing-in ceremony, talked about the business environment in our country, “In the period of independence, our population increased by 3 million, and in countries with a growing population, unemployment is usually a serious problem, including for us. We need to create 10 thousand new jobs every year. Of course, internal resources are not enough for this. Foreign investment is needed, and economic reforms, including improving the business environment, competition-related, anti-monopoly measures, will improve this business environment. Of course, Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur will be a new support point for our economic development. In those regions, projects related to both agriculture and renewable energy, tourism projects will provide great support to the non-oil sector.”

All this is a clear example of state support for the development of entrepreneurship in our country.

The National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers) Organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan, which unites thousands of entrepreneurial subjects, economic and social oriented associations and unions, has mobilized its forces and opportunities in the direction of the development of entrepreneurship in our country.

The confederation is represented by 15 permanent commissions, 26 representatives in foreign countries and representatives in 48 districts of the Republic.

Azerbaijan Entrepreneurs Confederation, together with the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijan Trade Unions Confederation, concludes the General Collective Agreement, which defines the agreed positions and joint activities on the socio-economic policy of the country. As a partner of the government, Azerbaijan Entrepreneurs Confederation fulfills its obligations.

Dear event participants,

As known, the hosting of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in Baku is considered a special success among the works carried out in the country for the sustainable development of the economy. By the Order of Mr. President Ilham Aliyev, the private sector is represented in the Organization by the National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers) Organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

It is no coincidence that raising the quality of efficient partnership between the public and private sector to the next level and optimal distribution of risks and responsibilities between the public and private sectors is one of the most important challenges of the modern world. It is considered one of the important tools for sustainable development, and its main purpose is to stimulate the flow of international investments to our country in this field by improving the relevant investment environment.

Therefore, by the order of the head of the country, 2024 was declared “The Year of Solidarity for the Green World” in Azerbaijan and the action plan was approved for 2022-2026.

In order to achieve these goals, the private sector has great responsibilities and obligations, and the Azerbaijan Entrepreneurs Confederation is ready to support business in successfully implementing this mission.

Cooperation Councils are one of the convenient mechanisms created to achieve prompt resolution of issues faced by entrepreneurs. Currently, the Confederation’s Councils of Cooperation with the State Tax Service, the Central Bank of Azerbaijan, the State Customs Committee under the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan are operating. These Councils have an exceptional role in solving the issues raised by entrepreneurs and are one of the most effective mechanisms of public-private dialogue.

In addition to all this, Azerbaijan Entrepreneurs Confederation improves its work in the field of international relations every year and uses the opportunities to establish relations with various international organizations. Thus, the Confederation represents our country at a high level in the International Labor Organization, the International Organization of Employers, the Turkish Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development, the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization, the International Congress of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and other organizations.

Dear conference participants,

As Azerbaijan Entrepreneurs Confederation, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, we believe that we will achieve new economic successes under the leadership of the country’s President Mr. Ilham Aliyev.

We are sure that the introduction of the newest technologies in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur, freed from occupation, the creation of new jobs, the return of life to our fertile lands will play an important role in the improvement of the population’s well-being, and the overall development of our economy. In this direction, the public-private partnership will continue to contribute.

I heartily congratulate each of you on Entrepreneurs’ Day and our 25th anniversary, and wish success to the work of the Conference.

Thank you for your attention!