Interview of the President of the Greek-Azerbaijani
Chamber of Commerce to “Dione”
Mr. Costas
Vamvakas, the President of the
Greek-Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce, met on May 9th in Athens with
the Master Student – Erasmus Intern from Baku Vugar Mamedov on behalf of Elis’ Local
Development Centre "Dione" and the social cooperative enterprise “Eco
Divri”, and discussed about the financial, industrial, commercial and tourist
relationships between Greece and Azerbaijan.
The Interview with
the President of the Greek-Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Costas
Vamvakas:
-What
kind of issues are the Greek companies interested in Azerbaijan
The Greek companies that get in contact with the Chamber
usually want to get informed about the business and investment environment in
Azerbaijan and in the Caspian area in general. More specifically, they are
interested in exports to this country, mainly of products in the branch of food
and beverages, ICT, software CRM & ERP systems but
also in cooperation in the fields of business consulting and development issues
(sales and marketing) cost reduction (supply chain and production), exports
enlargement. Moreover, there is interest in the
pharmaceutical sector as well as in the sector of
construction and building materials and technical companies.
Companies in the fields of olive oil, packaged meals and building materials
have a significant experience in Greece and are interested in expanding their
activity in the concerned area.
-What
are the most frequently asked questions about Azerbaijan
The most frequently asked questions from the side of the
Greek companies to the Chamber concern the customs tariff in Azerbaijan as well
as the ways to approach the Azeri market. Particularly, companies that export
products to other countries are interested in learning which products are on
demand in Azerbaijan this period that the government is promoting the
diversification of the economy, given the low fuel prices that strongly
influenced the Azeri economy. It is really difficult to find appropriate
companies from the Azeri market to represent the Greek products and
enterprises.
-According
to you, which sectors are at a low level for now in the bilateral relations,
but have the highest priority?
Our view is that in the field of food products there is a
high potential for the development of the Greek companies. However, Greek
exports are still in low levels compared to the desired level. This is
where we think it is necessary to focus even more and we
are seeking for cooperation with Azeri companies
towards the further development of our relationship. Moreover, the tourism sector constitutes
a potential ground for cooperation, since Greece possesses the know-how and
Azerbaijan is currently developing in this field. In addition to the Greek
ICT sector we consider has high potential for expansion in Azerbaijan.
-How
do you evaluate political relationships between Greece
and Azerbaijan
I think that the bilateral governmental relationships are
at the upmost level and the Greek government fully supports the deployment of
the TAP pipeline in Greece which is a project of
significant importance for both countries.
-Exhibitions
and conferences are perfect for collaborations. The EU-Azerbaijani Business Forum will be organized on 8th June in Baku
For the
upcoming event there is strong interest from Greek companies to join the
forum. Also,
last year the Chamber organized a business mission to Baku and took part in the
EU-AZ FORUM last May. The Forum was really successful, with workshops
that covered issues about agriculture, transport logistics and tourism.
Additionally, business B2B meetings took place, which
were organised for all the participants by
the well-established AHK (German-Azerbaijani
Chamber).
-Your
goals contribute to strengthening the Greek-Azerbaijani business partnerships.
Are you satisfied with the level of success so far?
The Greek-Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce
Chamber aims in promoting the trade of its members between the two countries
and is working towards this direction. This is accomplished with the
cooperation at a government level as well as with the cooperation with private
institutions. Meanwhile, we inform our members about the investment
opportunities in priority sectors for both countries and we direct
the interested parts in their effort to encounter business partners. In this
context we undertake sector-specific business missions in order to conclude
business ties.
We believe
that important business opportunities are emerging in Azerbaijan
-What
type of services and support do you offer to your members to join the tender
issued in Azerbaijan
We support our members by informing them about the
business opportunities and networking and also we provide
information about the economic and business environment in
Azerbaijan. Moreover, we organize events with a business, social and
cultural content, which contribute to a general promotion of the bonds between
the two countries. Furthermore, we inform our members about tenders that are
being procured in Azerbaijan.
-Azerbaijan -Greece
They are both hospitable and friendly people and
take good care of their guests. A research that was conducted some years ago
asked the people of Baku about which country’s people they
feel are closer to the Azeris and the outcome brought
Greeks in the third place, after Russians and Turkish.
-Greece
-After
the oil crisis in Azerbaijan Azerbaijan
One of the basic priorities of the Azeri government is
promoting tourism in Azerbaijan. There are more than 600 hotels and
accommodation establishments of all categories – of which almost half are found
in the Baku region. Events with a global focus, such as the Formula 1 circuit
in Baku, aim in setting the country in the global map. Therefore, the promotion
of the country as an international tourist destination constitutes one of the
most important priorities of the Azeri government.
-Sustainable
use of natural resources and environmental friendly companies are becoming
priorities to each Economy. Do you support and promote Green Entrepreneurship
in both countries?
The
deployment of the TAP pipeline has taken into consideration all these sensitive
environmental issues. Additionally, various
environmental NGOs recognise conventional natural gas as an effective fuel
to transition to a renewable-based economy.
Contact:
·Vugar Mamedov, Marketing manager
& eco-consultant, Erasmus Intern at the Local Development Centre "Dione"
in Ancient Olympia: vugar.mamedov@yahoo.com
·Vaso Charitopoulou, Head of
“Dione”: vasso-charitopoulou@hotmail.com
·Greek Azerbaijani Chamber of
Commerce and Business: http://www.greekazerchamber.eu/en/
