The 7th Caspian Business Forum under the theme “Connectivity, Finance and Energy along the Middle Corridor” was held in New York, organized by the Caspian Policy Center (CPC).
Held on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, the event brought together officials, diplomats, business representatives and experts from the United States, Azerbaijan, and other countries of the region.
In his opening remarks, Efgan Nifti, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Caspian Policy Center, said that Azerbaijan contributed to the expansion of the format from C5 to C6 by joining the Central Asian Consultative Meetings at the Tashkent Summit last year.
Peter Andreoli, US Department of State official, noted that the progress achieved between Azerbaijan and Armenia provides new opportunities for building stronger economic ties in the region. He emphasized that the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) project could become one of the important links of the broader Middle Corridor.
Yalchin Rafiyev, Azerbaijan’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated that effective regional connectivity delivers shorter, more predictable routes for Azerbaijan, builds resilient supply chains, expands market access, and unlocks fresh trade and investment opportunities.
Other speakers at the event included Lasha Darsalia, Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister, Mark Cameron, US Department of State official, Erzhan Kazykhan, Representative of the President of Kazakhstan for Negotiations with the United States, Berris Ekinci, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye, Abraham J. Hamadeh, U.S. Congressman from Arizona, Kimberly Harrington, Head of U.S. International Affairs, bp America, and Jamshid Ehsani, Head of Global Principal Structured Finance, Apollo Global Management.
The 7th Caspian Business Forum highlighted the growing strategic significance of the Caspian region, with primary focus on the Middle Corridor. Discussions stressed the critical need to align government policies, societal priorities, and private-sector interests to ensure sustainable economic growth, supply chain stability, and seamless regional integration.
