A delegation consisting of Azerbaijani businessmen working in tourism, construction and food came to the TRNC on 22 July in order to explore investment opportunities in the TRNC as well as have official meetings.

The Azerbaijani delegation, which is accompanied by the TRNC’s Representative to Baku, Mustafa Evran, consists of the Azerbaijani Under-Secretary of the Ministry for Economy and Development Alihüseyin Şaliyev, the Under-Secretary of the Ministry for Youth, Sports and Tourism, Aydın İsmiyev, the Under-Secretary of the Ministry for City Planning, İsmayıl Hasanov, the Director of Azerbaijan Airlines, Eldar Hacıyev and 34 businessmen.

The TRNC-Azerbaijan Joint Economic Forum took place on 23 July at the Near East University.

Speaking during the forum the TRNC Minister for Economy and Tourism Derviş Kemal Deniz, calling upon Azerbaijani officials and businessmen stressed that they would not give up on the decision to start direct flights from Azerbaijan.

Pointing out that the TRNC had been subjected to all kinds of embargoes for many years, Minister Deniz said despite all these difficulties, the Turkish Cypriot people had struggled for a free and independent country and finally a miraculous improvement had been achieved.

Minister Deniz stated that despite the Greek Cypriot side’s efforts to prevent any kind of improvement in North Cyprus by imposing embargoes, the TRNC had done its best to survive.

Stating that promises made by the world to support the TRNC had not been kept, Deniz said the messages from Azerbaijan showed that hands of support would be extended to the TRNC.

For his part, the Azerbaijani Under-Secretary of the Ministry for Economy and Development, Alihüseyin Şaliyev, explained that Azerbaijan was a country of great opportunities and invited TRNC businessmen to cooperate with businessmen in Azerbaijan.

Meanwhile, the Azerbaijani delegation visited the TRNC’s Chamber of Industry and the Chamber of Commerce on the same day (23 July).

A cooperation protocol was signed between the officials of the Azerbaijan Investment Encouragement and Advisory Foundation and the TRNC Chamber of Industry. The protocol envisages cooperation for the flow of goods and services and people between the two countries and supporting the businessmen of the two countries who want to cooperate with each other.