On the sidelines of the Inaugural Meeting of the OIC Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Agencies Network (OIC-SMENET), held in conjunction with the 2^nd Azerbaijan Halal Business (AZHAB) Forum on 7 October 2025 in Baku, H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Orkhan MAMMADOV, Chairman of the Board of the Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBİA) of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The meeting provided an opportunity to reflect on the growing cooperation between SESRIC and KOBİA, particularly in the context of SME development across the OIC region. H.E. SELÇUK expressed her appreciation to KOBİA for hosting the Inaugural Meeting of the OIC-SMENET and congratulated the Agency on its election as the Chair of the OIC-SMENET Bureau for the upcoming triennium.

During the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to advancing the objectives of the OIC-SMENET and emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts to empower SMEs across the OIC countries. In this regard, H.E. SELÇUK proposed the establishment of a dedicated Working Group to develop a comprehensive OIC-SMENET Work Plan 2025–2028, which will serve as a strategic roadmap for the Network’s activities over the next three years.

H.E. MAMMADOV welcomed the proposal and reiterated KOBİA’s readiness to actively contribute to the formulation of the Work Plan and to share Azerbaijan’s best practices in SME development with its counterparts in OIC countries.

The meeting concluded with a mutual understanding to strengthen institutional cooperation and to leverage the OIC-SMENET platform for forward-looking, resilient and sustainable SME growth across the region.

The Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBİA) of the Republic of Azerbaijan is a public entity operating under the Ministry of Economy. KOBİA is mandated to support the development of small and medium-sized enterprises across Azerbaijan. The Agency provides a wide range of services including business consulting, training, legal assistance, and access to finance, while also coordinating public and private sector efforts to foster a favourable business environment. Through its initiatives, KOBİA aims to enhance the competitiveness of SMEs, attract domestic and foreign investments to support their growth, and increase their contribution to the national economy.