The milestone tenth Business Forum of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) and the eighth plenary session of the CICA Business Council have been opened today in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The two high-level events aim to enhance entrepreneurship collaboration among the Member States of CICA, with a particular emphasis on supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs), facilitating cross-border partnerships, and promoting sustainable, innovative and inclusive economic growth throughout the region.
These gatherings are organized by the Small and Medium Business Development Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (KOBİA), in close cooperation with the CICA Secretariat.
According to the CICA, the Business Council Plenary has brought together national representatives and leading business figures for substantive dialogue on key issues driving SME development, including SME digitalization, industrial cooperation, women’s entrepreneurship, smart city initiatives and the green transformation. These themes reflect CICA’s comprehensive approach to addressing current challenges and harnessing emerging opportunities within dynamic landscape of regional commerce.
Throughout a series of panel discussions, participants are set to address strategic topics including the digital transformation of SMEs, the advancement of women’s entrepreneurship, facilitating the green transition of SMEs, promoting SME engagement in smart city ecosystems, expanding cross-border trade and e-commerce, enhancing industrial cooperation, and integrating SMEs into global value chains (GVCs).
The session will review of the initiatives under Azerbaijan’s Chairmanship of CICA. A key highlight will be the official presentation of the drafted SME Landscape in Asia: Interactive Guidebook, a signature project prepared under the coordination of the CICA Secretariat to promote knowledge-sharing and best practices among member states.
To highlight practical engagement, Azerbaijan is hosting an exhibition of products created by SMEs.
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s ultra-low-fare national airline, has officially launched flights from Gabala, adding a second Azerbaijani city to its growing network and becoming the only low-cost carrier to connect the region with Abu Dhabi.
The 65th General Assembly of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) convened in Baku on 18 June, bringing together parliamentary delegations and international representatives to discuss regional cooperation and sustainable development.
A new rail agreement between Pasifik Eurasia and a China Railway subsidiary is set to strengthen the Middle Corridor trade route, offering a faster and cheaper alternative to shipments via Russia.
Azerbaijan took part in the fourth meeting of heads of ministries and agencies responsible for ICT development among Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states, held in Karamay, China.
President Ilham Aliyev and Bulgarian National Assembly President Natalia Kiselova reaffirmed the strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Bulgaria during a meeting in Baku on June 18, highlighting strong political and energy ties.
President Donald Trump has said he will make a decision in the coming two weeks on whether the United States will strike Iran, citing a possibility of upcoming negotiations.
South Korea’s new administration proposed $14.7 billion in additional spending on Thursday to boost weak domestic demand, as President Lee Jae Myung pushes economic recovery as his top priority.
If the European Central Bank adjusts interest rates in the next six months, the move would likely be a cut, ECB policymaker Francois Villeroy de Galhau said on Thursday.
Iran's foreign minister is expected in Istanbul on Saturday for a key Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) council meeting as regional tensions rise over Israel's strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
The US Embassy in Qatar has temporarily barred its personnel from entering Al Udeid Air Base due to rising regional tensions linked to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.
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Israeli strikes have reportedly targeted areas near the residences of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian, according to the New York Times, citing local witnesses.
Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) has cancelled certain flights scheduled for 13th and 14th June amid recent escalation of situation in the Middle East and the closure of airspace in several countries for security reasons.
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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for June 17th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s ultra-low-fare national airline, has officially launched flights from Gabala, adding a second Azerbaijani city to its growing network and becoming the only low-cost carrier to connect the region with Abu Dhabi.
Israel’s sweeping surprise attack on Iran last week marked a major escalation in tensions, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring it had “struck at the head of Iran’s nuclear weaponization program.”
Israel is reportedly pressuring the United States to use its most powerful non-nuclear weapon—the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP)—in a strike against Iran’s heavily fortified Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, as tensions mount in the Middle East.
Uzbekistan’s economic performance has remained strong, with robust growth, narrowing consolidated fiscal and current account deficits, and ample international reserves, stated the International Monetary Fund following to the 2025 Article IV Consultation with the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Israel’s main hospital in the south sustained a direct missile strike on Thursday amid escalating hostilities with Iran, causing extensive damage and prompting urgent warnings from health officials.
President Donald Trump has said he will make a decision in the coming two weeks on whether the United States will strike Iran, citing a possibility of upcoming negotiations.
South Korea’s new administration proposed $14.7 billion in additional spending on Thursday to boost weak domestic demand, as President Lee Jae Myung pushes economic recovery as his top priority.
If the European Central Bank adjusts interest rates in the next six months, the move would likely be a cut, ECB policymaker Francois Villeroy de Galhau said on Thursday.
Iran's foreign minister is expected in Istanbul on Saturday for a key Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) council meeting as regional tensions rise over Israel's strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
The US Embassy in Qatar has temporarily barred its personnel from entering Al Udeid Air Base due to rising regional tensions linked to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.
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