USACC Appreciation Night Celebrates Partners Advancing U.S.-Azerbaijan Ties
Baku, Azerbaijan, October 1 - The United States-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce (USACC) brought together members and partners for its Appreciation Night in Baku on September 30, honoring their contributions to stronger ties between the United States and Azerbaijan.
The gathering recognized those who have contributed to USACC’s mission and supported the development of stronger relations between the United States and Azerbaijan.
Addressing the event, Chairman of the USACC Board of Directors Reza Vaziri highlighted the Chamber’s work over the last 30 years, bringing close the business potential of Azerbaijan to U.S. investors and bringing U.S. investors to Azerbaijan through different conferences and gatherings.
“The Chamber is going to provide the services that provided so far. Without the support of the Azerbaijani government and members like you, we could not be today here that we are,” he noted.
Natig Bakhishov, Executive Director of the USACC, for his part, spoke about the Chamber’s 30-year journey and future tasks. He noted that the USACC will focus on helping American companies evaluate Azerbaijan as a base for regional engagement.
“Our regional work will focus on helping American companies evaluate Azerbaijan as a base for engagement with the South Caucasus and Central Asia. Building on our Middle Corridor missions, we intend to connect emerging routes, including opportunities associated with trade, with specific business needs in transportation, infrastructure, and trade services. We also want to strengthen the follow-up that turns our programs into commercial results,” he added.
The U.S. Chargé d’Affaires ad interim in Azerbaijan, Amy Carlon praised the role of the USACC in laying the groundwork for the U.S.-Azerbaijan strategic partnership.
“USACC has been our partner since day one. Last September, USACC led a Trans-Caspian business mission to Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan. This mission was one of the first major economic successes of my tenure in Azerbaijan and a signpost for what was to come. Over the past 13 transformative months, USACC has been an incredible and consistent partner to the U.S. Embassy in Baku, and to my colleagues in Washington. Together with USACC and the government of Azerbaijan and all the partners, we have made great strides in taking the U.S.-Azerbaijan relationship to unprecedented heights. We rely on USACC and other private sector partners to achieve our economic aims,” she added.
Israil Asaliyev, Head of Industry & Mining at NEQSOL Holding, talked about plans to expand presence in the U.S. “Today, NEQSOL Holding is operating in 11 countries through five different sectors. Of course, the U.S. is an important part of our business. We already have a strong presence there, and plan to be even closer. We have offices in Amsterdam, Baku, and Kyiv and plan to open one in the U.S. soon. It will allow us to be closer to our American partners and colleagues,” he said.
Member of the Azerbaijani Parliament, Chairman of International and Interparliamentary Relations Committee, head of the Azerbaijan-U.S. interparliamentary relations working group Samad Seyidov pointed out that the U.S. and Azerbaijan are not only friends, but also strategic partners.
“We are going to do much more in the future than we have done in the past. We elevated our relations to the level of strategic partnership with the United States of America. This is just the beginning of our friendship, our cooperation,” he said.
The event also featured a video message from K. Aleks Schaefer, Director, Master of International Agriculture Program (MIAP), Department of Agricultural Economics, Oklahoma State University. He talked about the planned dual-degree master program to be launched by the Azerbaijan Agriculture University in Ganja, and Oklahoma State University.
“Through this dual-degree program, Azerbaijani students are bringing their knowledge of agriculture in their region, other cultural and historical characteristics, to Oklahoma, where they can benefit from some of the cutting-edge research, cutting-edge extension practices that we're producing here in the U.S. more broadly. Ultimately, what I hope this becomes a program that's just so much more than this one little dual-degree program. I hope there are opportunities for the private sector to connect with our program through internships, applied research projects, seminar opportunities, to help students understand the real challenges facing agriculture in Azerbaijan,” said Schaefer.
Guests expressed appreciation for USACC’s contribution to strengthening business ties between Azerbaijan and the United States and voiced confidence in further expanding cooperation in the years ahead. The event continued with informal networking, providing participants with an opportunity to exchange views and discuss potential areas for future collaboration.
About the USACC
The U.S.-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce is a leading business association dedicated to promoting trade, investment, and economic cooperation between the United States and Azerbaijan. Since 1995, USACC has served as a bridge between governments and the private sector, supporting commercial partnerships and economic development initiatives across key industries.