BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 1. Belgian-Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce (BELGAZERCOM) has opened Baku office, which is a big milestone in bilateral business relations, Stef Goris, Chairman of BELGAZERCOM, said in an exclusive interview with Trend September 30 in Baku.
“We have opened our Baku office, which will be led by Rufat Guliyev. He will also serve as a key contact for Azerbaijani companies looking to do business in Belgium, helping connect them with the right partners, just as he has done very efficiently for this and previous missions. For us, this represents an important milestone in strengthening business ties between Azerbaijan and Belgium,” he said, as BELGAZERCOM has organized its third mission to Baku.
Goris pointed out that Azerbaijani companies could show interest in high-end technology that can be procured in Belgium.
“We know that the government in Azerbaijan is very active in developing renewable energy. And in Europe, we will need this energy resources. By the way, Belgian companies are already involved in this process, including Sarens Group, which is working on the heavy lifting required for the onshore production of wind turbines. These turbines will generate electricity that is planned to be transmitted via a major cable through the Black Sea to Europe, and we welcome this development. Azerbaijan is already playing an important role in supplying energy to Europe, including gas to Italy and Central Europe, and although Belgium is somewhat further away, I believe renewable energy will become increasingly important in the future, making this an area of particular interest for us,” he added.
Organizing the third mission to Azerbaijani in just 18 months, Goris noted that the Chamber is already planning to come back next spring.
“We brought this time four companies. One of them is Move Intermodal nv, a logistics company, specifically looking for an Azerbaijani partner to make a joint venture for intermodal transport, which means train, road and maritime, to bring the products with his company from the north of Sweden to Baku in one line. It has already established a similar company in Istanbul, Türkiye. We met with represenatives of several biggest banks in Azerbaijan and Azerbaijani Investment Holding to see what can be done and how we can get somewhere,” said the chairman of BELGAZERCOM.
In this context, he highlighted the growing importance of the Middle Corridor amid the geopolitical uncertainties.
“Azerbaijan is on the crossroads from north to south and from east to west. With the current problems in the world due to the war in Ukraine, Iran, Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb being closed, Suez Canal in problem, the pipeline through the desert in Saudi Arabia under attack, everybody looks at the Middle Corridor, which is gaining importance. So, we want to be there in time with our Belgian companies,” added Goris.
The second company is Giuliano Group, a high-end authentic Italian cuisine.
“We met with CEO of Bridge Group. We also had a meeting with Emin Agalarov, founder of the Sea Breeze Resort. It was an eye-opener to see the scale of Sea Breeze. The project is so broad and covers such a wide range of areas that there was something relevant for everyone. All our participants were able to identify useful contacts and opportunities across their respective sectors. Next time, we may bring real estate companies from Flanders to explore the project and its potential in more detail.
The follow-up was immediate: we were contacted by the staff to continue discussions on the issues raised. This stands in contrast to Europe, where the potential of Azerbaijan is still underestimated and not fully understood. I’m very surprised by how efficiently people in this country can work at short notice. Even over the weekend, on Saturday and Sunday, we had so many interesting meetings,” he said.
Goris noted that the third company is G&F Greentech, which makes natural grass fields with irrigation from bottom to the top.
“We met with representatives of the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA) to discuss possible cooperation. The fourth company is Dirty Monitor, an enthusiastic creative studio, pioneer in the field of content conception and realization for video mapping,” he explained.
Talking about future missions, Goris noted that he already has two candidates for the next mission in April 2027.
“In September, we are also planning a joint exploratory mission to Baku with Voka Limburg, the largest business organization in Belgium, which represents businesses and advocates for their interests. It will bring together a significant number of companies, particularly leading businesses from Limburg, with the aim of introducing them to Azerbaijan, promoting the country and exploring potential business opportunities,” he added.
Goris said BELGAZERCOM believes Azerbaijan’s consumer market has become more sophisticated, with growing demand for high-end and luxury goods compared with 20 years ago.
“There are luxury products that Belgian companies produce that could potentially be introduced to the Azerbaijani market. I’m not referring only to chocolates; Belgium also has a particularly strong beer sector, with around 2,500 beer brands produced in the country, including many specialty beers,” he added.
Moreover, he noted that Liège Airport has also become a corporate member of the Chamber and is exploring closer cooperation with Baku, particularly in air cargo.
“I understand that a new airport focused mainly on cargo is also being developed in Azerbaijan, so I believe it would be valuable for Liège Airport to be among the first European airports to establish a connection and help create a cargo hub between East and West,” he said.
Goris believes that pharmaceuticals are another area which has a significant potential for cooperation.
“Belgium has strong expertise in chemistry and pharmaceuticals, with companies such as Janssen Pharmaceutica, so we should explore how Belgian and Azerbaijani companies can cooperate and develop opportunities in this sector. There is clearly a lot to do, and we already know what we need to work on over the coming months,” he concluded.
