BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 19. Preparations for the Annual Meeting of the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSDTB) to be held in Baku have been discussed.

This was reported by the press service of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Finance following the meeting of the First Deputy Minister of Finance, Anar Karimov, with a delegation led by the BSDTB President, Serhat Köksal, held on June 19.

The information noted that the meeting discussed the current state and future development prospects of cooperation between Azerbaijan and BSDTB, the bank's activities and financing directions in our country, infrastructure and sustainable development projects.

"At the same time, within the framework of Azerbaijan's chairmanship of the BSDTB Board of Governors for 2025–2026, the progress of preparations for the Bank's Annual Meeting, which will be held in Baku on July 1 of this year, was reviewed.

Karimov emphasized that Azerbaijan attaches special importance to the long-term and fruitful cooperation established with the BSDTB, noting that the bank plays an important role in expanding economic cooperation in the region, increasing access to financial resources and promoting the development of the private sector. It was noted that Azerbaijan, as one of the founding members, consistently supports the strengthening of the bank's institutional stability and development initiatives.

At the same time, Karimov expressed confidence that the Annual Meeting of the Bank to be held in Baku will make a significant contribution to further expanding financial and economic dialogue between member countries, deepening regional cooperation and strengthening multilateral partnership relations.

Meanwhile, Köksal highly appreciated the dynamics of the development of cooperation with Azerbaijan and especially noted the contribution of our country to the bank's activities. He expressed interest in expanding cooperation in the areas of supporting the private sector, expanding access to financial resources for small and medium-sized businesses, infrastructure projects, diversification of the economy and green transition," the information said.

During the meeting, the parties also exchanged views on the work done on the process of increasing the bank's capital, and reaffirmed Azerbaijan's participation in this process and commitment to the obligations it has undertaken.