Orkhan Mammadov: 99% of business in Azerbaijan are small and medium enterprises

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) account for 99% of the total number of business entities in Azerbaijan, Orkhan Mammadov, Chairman of the SMB Development Agency of Azerbaijan (KOBİA), said at the 10th Business Forum of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Baku.

Report quotes Mammadov as saying SMBs play a key role in creating jobs and ensuring sustainable economic growth.

Mammadov noted that special attention is paid to training programs on e-commerce, digital marketing and data management, as well as the development of international partnerships. He recalled that within the framework of COP29, Azerbaijan initiated the creation of the Baku Climate Coalition to support the green transition of businesses.

Mammadov called on CICA partners to more actively share experiences and support women in business.

"We have launched training programs for women entrepreneurs in Azerbaijan, providing them with mentoring, business planning resources and networking opportunities. We invite our CICA partners to share their experiences and strategies to support women in business, as this is an area in which we can learn from each other and cooperate," he noted.