President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has addressed the participants of the First Azerbaijan International Investment Forum held in Baku.

"Dear Forum participants,

I cordially welcome you to the First Azerbaijan International Investment Forum.

I express my confidence that this Forum held in Azerbaijan for the first time, will become an important platform to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, build new partnership ties, discuss leading ideas and projects, and attract new investments to the country.

Since gaining its independence, Azerbaijan has been placing a special emphasis on the collaboration with foreign investors, and realizing projects with leading world companies that have a great significance for both our country, and the region.

Social and economic reforms implemented in Azerbaijan and its integration into the global economy have opened up wider and favorable opportunities for international businesses in our country. Indeed, this explains the investments in the amount of 344,4 billion USD put in our economy in the span of 2004-2024 with its considerable part or 213,2 billion USD directed into the non-oil sectors. This is a clear showcase of confidence of foreign investors in Azerbaijan, the security and stability environment created in our country.

Currently, thousands of businesses with foreign capital are active in Azerbaijan. This is a considerable contribution to shape the competitive and sustainable economy based on modern corporate governance in our country. This confidence we gained, have made foreign companies to reinvest their revenues into the national economy still today.

The Azerbaijani economy’s sits on strong and fundamental bedrock. The Contract of the Century signed on the initiative of National Leader Heydar Aliyev has entered into the history as a model of exemplary collaboration of global scale by laying down strong foundations to develop large transnational projects and logistical hubs running from Asia to Europe in subsequent years.

As the territorial integrity of our country was secured, Azerbaijan’s efforts helped to put the basis for lasting peace, stability and sustainable development in the region. For the time being, Azerbaijan relies already on the economic diplomacy in its foreign policy to build new cooperative ties, and further expand non-oil sectors, and the national tourism potential in particular.

Today, the economic growth in Azerbaijan has transformed into a long lasting stable trend. During the period of 2021-2024, non-oil sector rose annually by 6,7% in average while its share in national economy has reached 68%. Non-oil export of last six months, has almost doubled. It explicitly shows an increasing competitiveness of our country.

All these achievements are supported by creating modern production infrastructure in the country: currently, we have 9 industrial parks and 4 industrial sites. These clusters register 171 enterprises with 98 of them starting already production outputs. Over 6,9 billion manats are invested into industrial zones with almost 11 thousand jobs created.

The private sector share in the economy has reached 81,4% resulting from the application of innovative ideas, public-private partnership mechanisms and implemented reforms. The continuous development of economy has boosted the welfare of population and broadened financial capabilities of the country. The State budget revenues of 2025 have increased by 2,4 times compared to 2017 as the strategic foreign currency reserves have gone up by 1,9 times while the public foreign debt continued its downtrend by 6,5% in relation to GDP turning into one of the lowest indicators on world scale.

The favorable geographic location of Azerbaijan makes our country to become a strategic hub of regional economic policy. The transit volume of goods through the Middle Corridor is increasing each year. This indicator is expected to ramp up in next years, in particular, with commissioning of the Zangezur corridor. The modern infrastructure created in the country, including Baku International Trade Sea Port, Alat Free Economic Zone and modern railway network offer all amenities to the investors in terms of direct access to global markets and high transit efficiency. At the same time, special economic zones coupled with modern transportation and digital infrastructure offer ready-to-go platforms for production, logistics, renewable energy, digital services and high value chain agriculture.

Our energy policy is playing an important role in fostering international economic positions of Azerbaijan. Currently, Azerbaijan is the strategic energy partner with several countries both in fossil fuel and renewables. In addition to the natural gas, solar and wind energy projects, green energy zone in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur, including applied concepts of smart infrastructure, are turning our country into one of leading participants of global energy transition. Thus, Azerbaijan is fostering today’s energy security, but building also the green economy of tomorrow.

The rule of law in the country, formed political stability and protection of investments are playing the role of fundamental factor for our economic policies and create the confidence environment for investors in long term. Relying on its created infrastructure and legal assurances, Azerbaijan stands ready to support business projects, and advance partnerships that bring technology, investments and experience. At the same time, PPP mechanism help investors to connect to sustainable projects.

Our successes gained in the area of fossil fuel, get its completion by digital economy and technological transformations today. Expansion of cloud Technologies, development of digital data infrastructure and incorporation of innovative solutions into main sectors of the economy, broaden the positions of Azerbaijan to play a strategically central role in the areas of high tech and AI in the future.

Azerbaijan constantly supports projects offering creative initiatives, and opportunities for business people to run more profitable activities. I believe that our partners benefiting from such advantages presented by Azerbaijan, can greatly contribute to the sustainable development of our country, its technological progress and the prosperity of region as a whole.

The First Azerbaijan International Investment Forum held today, marks the onset of a new stage of cooperation and investment attraction. Our main goal is to realize innovative business ideas and broaden favorable business opportunities. I invite you all to bring capital, technology and ideas to Azerbaijan.

I am confident that the reflection of your ideas and initiatives in real projects of Azerbaijan, will set a strong basis for successful cooperation and common welfare.

I wish every success to the work of Forum and new beneficial partnerships to all participants."