Shusha – July 2, 2025
The 6th ECO Business Forum has successfully concluded in the historic city of Shusha, Azerbaijan with the theme of “Investment and Trade Promotion as a Catalyst for Sustainable Development in the ECO Region.” The event was jointly organized by the Export and Investment Promotion Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (AZPROMO), the ECO Secretariat and the ECO Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ECO-CCI), with the support of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The forum brought together delegations from the ECO-CCI, National Chambers of Commerce and Industries of the ECO Members States, with participation of private business companies from Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye and Uzbekistan. The official representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran also participated in the event. In total, 94 companies and 200 business representatives participated from across the ECO region. The delegations of ECO Secretariat, ECO-affiliated institutions, business leaders, and regional trade organizations, also took part in the gathering.
The forum was inaugurated by H.E. Mr. Elnur Aliyev, First Deputy Minister of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, who delivered a keynote address emphasizing the transformative impact of investment and trade promotion in achieving sustainable development across the ECO region.
In his opening remarks, ECO Secretary General Dr. Asad M. Khan, highlighted the forum’s strategic importance in catalyzing regional cooperation and harnessing the collective economic potential of the ECO region. Emphasizing that the ECO region’s share of global trade stood at 4.4% in 2024, valued at $1.07 trillion, while intra-regional trade accounted for 8.8% of the region’s trade with the rest of the world, he stressed that realizing the region’s full potential requires deeper collaboration. He appreciated the Republic of Türkiye for their active persuasion of ECOTA by organizing 5th ECO Ministerial Meeting of Commerce and Foreign Trade which was schedule on 23-25 June 2025 in Istanbul but postponed.
This landmark forum, featuring deliberations on common challenges, while holding B2B networking sessions; serves as a dynamic platform for dialogue, exchange of best practices, and promotion of public-private partnerships, which are inevitable for driving infrastructure development, innovation, and growth in the region.
