BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 1. The U.S.-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce (USACC) will focus on helping American companies evaluate Azerbaijan as a base for regional engagement, said Natig Bakhishov, Executive Director of the U.S.-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce (USACC).
He made the remarks September 30 during the U.S.-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce (USACC) Members and Parters Appreciation Night in Baku.
Bakhishov recalled that the Chamber supported commercial dialogue surrounding the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline, which helped establish Azerbaijan's role in international energy markets and provided a foundation for broader cooperation with American businesses.
“Since 2006, USACC has organized trade and study missions that bring companies directly into each other's markets. In agriculture, the first Illinois-Azerbaijan Agriculture Forum held in Chicago in 2019 connected agricultural businesses and institutions. Our Agriculture Export and Investment Support Initiative, developed with U.S. Government and AZPROMO, extended that cooperation to export development and investment opportunities. In finance, U.S.-Azerbaijan Banking and Finance Forum held at the Harvard Club in New York in 2015 provided a dedicated platform for financial sector engagement. That work continued through the first Azerbaijan Banking Mission to the United States in 2024, led by the Governor of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan and involving executives from 11 Azerbaijani banks. The second Azerbaijan Banking Mission in 2025 deepened professional exchanges with American financial institutions and regulatory experts,” said the USACC Executive Director.
He went on to add that regional connectivity has become another major focus.
“The 2025 U.S. business delegation to the Middle Corridor region
brought American businesses across Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan,
Georgia.
Through meetings and visits to transportation facilities, this
program helped companies examine Azerbaijan's role within the wider
regional market. Our Green Finance Leadership Summit, heading to
COP29, held in Washington, D.C. in 2024, brought public officials,
businesses, experts together to discuss sustainable climate-related
investment. Our 30th anniversary conference this March continued
that engagement through discussions on technology, energy,
infrastructure, and finance,” said Bakhishov.
He pointed out that the USACC wants the U.S.-Azerbaijan commercial relationship to become broader, with more companies participating and more sectors producing lasting partnerships.
“Energy will remain important while we pursue opportunities in agriculture, technology, manufacturing, logistics, and services. 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.
Bakhishov noted that financial sector cooperation will remain a priority, where the USACC will build on its banking mission and compliance programs to support stronger institutional relationships and the reliable financial channel that international commerce requires.
“The next chapter will depend on our ability to work together with the same commitment that brought us here,” he said.
