OSCE Office holds first Congress of women entrepreneurs in Baku

BAKU, 21 November 2003 - The improvement of conditions for women to start and run a business and their active participation in the economic life of Azerbaijan are being discussed at a three-day congress which opened today in Baku.

"We believe that small businesses, especially non-oil and women-run businesses, are vitally important to the future of this country," said Ambassador Peter Burkhard, the Head of the OSCE Office in Baku in his opening speech.

The event entitled "Women's Entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan: Main Directions, Problems and Perspectives" is designed to promote development of women-owned business and to lay the foundation for the creation of a region-wide network for women entrepreneurs in Azerbaijan, which will serve as a platform for inter-regional trade and information exchange.

Farhad Aliyev, Azeri Minister of Economic Development, said the Azeri government pays great attention to this important issue. "We are promoting women's participation in all spheres of life and trying to create better conditions and a better environment for women-entrepreneurs."

"More needs to be done in this area," Farhad Aliyev added voicing hope that when these issues are properly addressed it will be possible for more women to become entrepreneurs and to contribute to the economic growth of the country.

"We hope that this event will help to identify the key obstacles and the best ways to meet the needs of women entrepreneurs. The benefits of this exercise will accrue to the economy at large," concluded Ambassador Burkhard.

The Baku congress, which follows recent training seminars for women in 10 regions of Azerbaijan, is organized by the OSCE Office in Baku, in co-operation with the Independent Legal Centre. Thirty business women, representatives from national institutions of Azerbaijan, including the presidential administration, government ministries, non-governmental organizations, as well as international experts are attending the event.