The 6th Session of the Greece–Azerbaijan Joint Interministerial Committee on Economic, Industrial and Technological Cooperation and the Greece–Azerbaijan Business Forum, the first to be held since 2013, were successfully held in Athens. The two events reaffirmed the willingness of both sides to further broaden and deepen bilateral economic relations beyond the energy sector.
The Business Forum was organised by the Secretariat General for International Economic Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Enterprise Greece and the Export and Investment Promotion Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (AZPROMO). The proceedings opened with keynote addresses by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Harry Theoharis and the Minister of Energy of Azerbaijan, Parviz Shahbazov. Presentations by Enterprise Greece and AZPROMO followed, along with thematic presentations on the opportunities and prospects for business and investment cooperation between the two countries. Dozens of Greek and Azerbaijani companies and organisations participated in the Forum, holding more than one hundred business-to-business (B2B) meetings aimed at exploring concrete opportunities for cooperation and investment.
During their bilateral meeting, Mr Theoharis and Mr Shahbazov discussed the further development of bilateral economic relations, with an emphasis on energy, trade, investment and connectivity. In particular, they highlighted the strategic role of energy cooperation and of Greece as a gateway from the South Caucasus to the European market, as well as the potential for strengthening transport and energy connectivity between Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia. They also discussed prospects for expanding cooperation in sectors such as agri-food, infrastructure, digital technologies, renewable energy sources and tourism, as well as strengthening air connectivity between Athens and Baku.
At the plenary session of the Committee, co-chaired by Mr Theoharis and Mr Shahbazov, the progress of bilateral cooperation since the previous Session in Baku two years ago was reviewed. The two sides exchanged views on trade and investment, industry, SMEs and infrastructure, tourism, agriculture and food, road, maritime, port and air transport, digital technologies and space, the environment, as well as cooperation between the customs authorities. The potential for enhancing connectivity and linking the South Caucasus with European energy and transport networks was also highlighted.
The proceedings concluded with the signing of the Protocol of the 6th Session and the Greece–Azerbaijan Joint Action Programme on Tourism for 2026–2028, which establishes a framework for joint actions in the fields of sustainable tourism, digitalisation, innovation, investment and tourism education.
October 1, 2026