Azerbaijan and the EU laid the foundation for expanding cooperation, Board Chairman of Azerbaijani Small and Medium Business Development Agency (SMBDA) Orkhan Mammadov said, TurkicWorld reports.

Mammadov made the remark at a conference on the topic of “Support to Azerbaijani government in creating a more favorable environment for small and medium-sized enterprises and increasing their competitiveness”.

According to him, the documents signed between Azerbaijan and the EU play an important role in the development of bilateral cooperation.

“The foundation for expanding cooperation between Azerbaijan and the EU was laid by partnership and cooperation agreements, visa facilitation agreements, a joint declaration on the Southern Gas Corridor, an action plan for the European Neighborhood Policy, a memorandum of understanding on a strategic energy partnership and other important documents,” the chairman noted.

Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the development of relations with the EU, which is clearly witnessed by the fact of establishing a strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and nine EU countries, Mammadov also said.

According to him, in Azerbaijan, as in most countries of the world, the majority of the existing businesses account for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

"In this regard, the sustainable development of Azerbaijan is closely related to the level of development of small and medium-sized businesses,” he noted.

“Our agency plays the role of a bridge between government agencies and SMEs, supporting its targeted interests at all stages of activity, starting with the creation of start-ups, micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises ", added Mammadov.