The 2nd Azerbaijan International Investment Forum held in Baku has become an important platform for discussing Azerbaijan’s economic priorities within a broader framework. Held on September 25-26, the forum is being held under the auspices of the President of Azerbaijan, organized by the Ministry of Economy and AZPROMO, with The European House – Ambrosetti as its strategic partner. The theme of this year’s event was also chosen deliberately: “Rebuilding Trust in a Fragmented World: The South Caucasus as a Pillar of Global Connectivity and Investment Stability.” The forum’s agenda also, to a certain extent, reflects how Azerbaijan views its own economy and its role in the region.
The discussion of such topics as the Middle Corridor, energy and the green transition, artificial intelligence and digital transformation, industry, free economic zones, critical raw materials, agribusiness, financial cooperation, tourism and human capital on the same platform shows that the investment agenda has expanded considerably beyond the traditional oil and gas framework. The inaugural Azerbaijan International Investment Forum, held in 2025, brought together more than 1,000 participants and saw investment agreements worth over $10 billion signed. More than $7 billion of those agreements were related to the non-oil sector.
This year’s forum, meanwhile, is focused on concrete projects and longer-term economic partnerships. President Ilham Aliyev’s address to the forum participants also explains this changing approach. The key themes of his speech are Azerbaijan’s economic diversification, the growth of the non-oil sector, the country’s expanding role in transport and energy connectivity, and turning foreign capital into greater added value for the economy.
The figures presented by President Aliyev highlight the scale of this transformation. Since 2020, real GDP growth in the non-oil sector has averaged 5% annually, while the non-oil industry has grown 1.5-fold and non-oil exports have nearly doubled. As a result, the non-oil sector’s share of GDP reached 72% in 2025.
These figures point to a significant structural change in Azerbaijan’s economic model: preserving the economic and financial opportunities created by the oil and gas sector while enabling other areas of the economy to grow faster. In his address, the President presents Azerbaijan’s advantages for investors within this broader framework. The country’s geographic location, transport and logistics capabilities, infrastructure in economic zones, tax and customs incentives, public-private partnership mechanisms, and joint investment funds established with partner countries are highlighted as opportunities for foreign capital.
However, one of the most notable points in the address is the emphasis that Azerbaijan’s approach to investment goes beyond simply attracting financial capital. As President Aliyev said: "Our approach to investment goes beyond attracting capital. We value technology, expertise, innovation and access to new markets, and seek partnerships that create sustainable value for investors, while strengthening the modernisation and competitiveness of Azerbaijan's economy." This approach is particularly important for Azerbaijan’s next stage of economic development.
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