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.
Another group of the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Russia has been evacuated from Iran to Azerbaijan. During the night, a new group of orchestra members crossed into Azerbaijan through the Astara border checkpoint as part of the ongoing evacuation process.
Kazakhstan has emerged as Azerbaijan’s top grain supplier, as trade between the two countries surged 20% in early 2025, reaching historic highs.
Amid the threat of civil war and national collapse, Azerbaijan turned to its most experienced statesman, Heydar Aliyev, whose return to power on June 15, 1993, marked the beginning of the country's political revival.
Azerbaijan is facilitating the evacuation of foreign nationals from Iran, a process that has included private citizens and diplomatic staff. The assistance has involved providing transit for Kyrgyz citizens and, subsequently, the staff and families of the Kyrgyz Embassy in Tehran.
Azerbaijan will not permit any country to use its territory to strike a third party, including Iran, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov tells his Iranian counterpart Seyyed Abbas Araghchi in a phone call on Saturday.
The EU will delay plans to curb Russian nuclear fuel imports, focusing first on phasing out Russian gas by 2027, the European Commission confirmed.
Another group of the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Russia has been evacuated from Iran to Azerbaijan. During the night, a new group of orchestra members crossed into Azerbaijan through the Astara border checkpoint as part of the ongoing evacuation process.
France has closed four major Israeli company stands at the Paris Airshow for displaying offensive weapons, intensifying diplomatic tensions with Israel amid criticism of its actions in Gaza.
A community event turned deadly in West Valley City, Utah as gunfire erupted during a local carnival, killing three people, including an eight-month-old baby and injuring two teens, after a dispute between two groups escalated.
Kazakhstan has emerged as Azerbaijan’s top grain supplier, as trade between the two countries surged 20% in early 2025, reaching historic highs.
Pakistan will begin its first freight train service to Russia from Lahore on June 22. The route is part of the INSTC and aims to connect Pakistan's rail network with Central Asia, establishing a new trade corridor via Iran, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan.
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.
The Israeli military has issued an evacuation advisory for Iranian civilians living near weapons production sites and associated infrastructure within Iran. The message was shared on the social media platform X in both Arabic and Farsi by an official military spokesperson.
Peace is no longer a dream. It is a discussion. On the streets of Baku and Yerevan, it is also a question, of trust, of foreign interests, and of who truly wants it.
An Air India flight with 242 passengers on board crashed in Meghaninagar, close to Ahmedabad airport in Gujarat, on Thursday afternoon.
China has expanded its nuclear arsenal at the fastest rate of any nation, reaching an estimated 600 warheads by early 2025, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
Israel’s military on Monday reported a missile attack launched from Yemen, intensifying already heightened regional tensions following a dramatic escalation in hostilities between Israel and Iran.
Israel launched a strike on Saturday targeting Iran’s energy sector for the first time in its current military campaign, hitting installations at the South Pars gas field, a major fuel depot in Tehran, and a nearby oil refinery.
Another group of the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Russia has been evacuated from Iran to Azerbaijan. During the night, a new group of orchestra members crossed into Azerbaijan through the Astara border checkpoint as part of the ongoing evacuation process.
The second China-Central Asia Summit commenced today (16 June) in Kazakhstan’s capital, marking a pivotal moment in deepening political and economic ties between China and the five Central Asian states: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
The EU will delay plans to curb Russian nuclear fuel imports, focusing first on phasing out Russian gas by 2027, the European Commission confirmed.
Another group of the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Russia has been evacuated from Iran to Azerbaijan. During the night, a new group of orchestra members crossed into Azerbaijan through the Astara border checkpoint as part of the ongoing evacuation process.
France has closed four major Israeli company stands at the Paris Airshow for displaying offensive weapons, intensifying diplomatic tensions with Israel amid criticism of its actions in Gaza.
A community event turned deadly in West Valley City, Utah as gunfire erupted during a local carnival, killing three people, including an eight-month-old baby and injuring two teens, after a dispute between two groups escalated.
Kazakhstan has emerged as Azerbaijan’s top grain supplier, as trade between the two countries surged 20% in early 2025, reaching historic highs.
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