On the margins of the 2^nd AZHAB Forum, SESRIC and KOBİA co-organised the Inaugural Meeting of the OIC Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Agencies Network (OIC-SMENET) on 7 October 2025 in Baku, in which KOBİA will assume the chairmanship for the upcoming three years.

The Meeting marked the inauguration of the OIC-SMENET, a strategic platform to foster training, technical cooperation, and capacity building among SME development institutions across the OIC region. The event brought together representatives from Ministries, national SME development authorities and relevant institutions of OIC countries, alongside stakeholders from the public-private partnerships.

The Inaugural Meeting commenced with opening remarks by H.E. SELÇUK and H.E. Orkhan MAMMADOV, Chairman of the Board of KOBİA. In her opening address, H.E. SELÇUK emphasized the critical role of SMEs in driving economic growth, employment, and sustainable development across the OIC region. She noted that Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) account for 99.9% of all firms in OIC countries, contribute over 93% to total employment, and nearly 85% to GDP, figures that surpass global averages and underscore the importance of coordinated support for SME development.

In this vein, she underlined SESRIC’s commitment to supporting SME development through data, research, and capacity-building initiatives, and called for collective ownership of the Network to turn challenges into opportunities, emphasizing that the establishment of OIC-SMENET reflects a shared objective to empower SMEs across OIC countries through structured cooperation and institutional solidarity.

H.E. MAMMADOV, in his remarks, welcomed the participants to Baku and reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s strong commitment to enhancing SME cooperation across the OIC countries. He emphasized the importance of institutional collaboration and knowledge exchange in addressing the challenges faced by SMEs and unlocking their full potential.

Following the opening remarks, the meeting proceeded with a presentation introducing the structure, objectives, and operational framework of the OIC-SMENET, laying the foundation for the subsequent speeches and brief country interventions by representatives of national SME institutions from OIC countries.

As a key outcome of the meeting, the Rules of Procedure (RoP) of the OIC-SMENET was formally adopted, and SESRIC was designated as the Permanent Secretariat of the Network. The meeting also witnessed the election of the Bureau Members, with Azerbaijan elected as Chair representing the Asia Group. The meeting concluded with the adoption of the Baku Declaration, a symbolic and strategic document outlining the shared vision and commitment of the Network’s members.

The Inaugural Meeting of the OIC-SMENET marked a significant milestone in institutionalizing SME cooperation within the OIC framework and laid the foundation for a dynamic and forward-looking platform to support the growth of SMEs across the OIC countries.

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