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The opening session of the online conference "Post-COVID-19: Support for SMBs" was organized by CCIAF in partnership with SMBDA 30.06.20

The opening session of the online conference "Post-COVID-19: Support for SMBs" was organized by CCIAF in partnership with SMBDA.

An online conference on "Post-COVID-19: Support for SMBs" organized by the Azerbaijan-France Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIAF) in partnership with the Small and Medium Business Development Agency (SMBDA) of the Republic of Azerbaijan started on June 30.

Speaking at the online conference, CCIAF Managing Director Zibar Huseynova said the event, which was attended by government officials and CCIAF member consulting companies, would be useful for informing SMBs. CCIAF Board Chairman Teyba Guliyeva informed about the organization's cooperation with SMBDA and the work within this partnership and thanked the official guests attending the conference, CCIAF member companies - Baker Tilly, Deloitte, Ekvita, EY Azerbaijan and PwC Azerbaijan for its support.

Mehman Abbas, Deputy Chairman of the Board of SMBDA, spoke about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on small and medium enterprises, the support program implemented by the Government of Azerbaijan, as well as the measures taken by the Agency for SMBs. He also spoke about SMBDA’s cooperation with international organizations and projects implemented within this cooperation.

French Ambassador to Azerbaijan Zacharie Gross spoke about the French government's action plan for the rehabilitation of SMBs and intergovernmental cooperation in this area. Azerbaijani Ambassador to France Rahman Mustafayev spoke about the importance of SMBs for national economic development and stressed the need to further strengthen cooperation between the two countries in the current situation.

Kestutis Jankauskas, Head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan, spoke about the programs and projects to be implemented in the field of SMB during the pandemic and post-pandemic period, as well as cooperation with SMB in this field. He provided detailed information about the EU for Business initiative and the priority areas of cooperation between the EU and Azerbaijan.

Ivana Duarte, EBRD Country Manager for Azerbaijan, spoke about the Bank's SMB financial support programs, as well as online trainings such as digitalization and pandemic budget management.

UNDP Resident Representative in Azerbaijan Alessandro Fracassetti stressed the importance of self-recovery of the SMB sector, one of the areas affected by the pandemic, noting that the organization has been working closely with the government of Azerbaijan during this period. He spoke about the creation of an e-Business platform, the organization's online trainings on online business development.

Geraldine Lembe, Deputy Director of MEDEF International, noted that a large number of SMBs are represented in the organization, support for their self-recovery after the pandemic is one of the organization's priorities, and that MEDEF International closely cooperates with SMB organizations in Azerbaijan.

The panelists then answered questions from the online conference participants.

Note that the online conference on "Post-COVID-19: Support for SMBs" will last until July 2. In the coming days, CCIAF member companies will organize seminars for SMBs on tourism, agriculture and women's entrepreneurship.