Symbols of prosperity and culture in the wider Black Sea area

The Chairmanship of the Republic of Azerbaijan
in the Organisation of BSEC
Symbols of prosperity and culture in the wider Black Sea area
CAUCAS POINT HOTEL
BAKU- AZERBAIJAN October 7, 2009
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
in honour of the celebration of “Baku Islamic Cultural Capital 2009”
Co-organised by
with the official support of
Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan
Ministry of Agriculture of Azerbaijan
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan
Ministry of Economic Development of Azerbaijan
under the auspices of
Embassy of Greece
Albania
Azerbaijan
Greece
Turkey
Business Council
of the Organisation of the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation (BSEC)
National Confederation of
Entrepreneurs of Azerbaijan
Embassy of Turkey

The Chairmanship of the Republic of Azerbaijan
in the Organisation of BSEC
Symbols of prosperity and culture in the wider Black Sea area
INVITATION
It is a great pleasure to invite you to participate to the international conference: “Olive
tree and olive oil: Symbols of prosperity and culture in the wider Black Sea area”.
The international conference will take place on October 7, 2009, in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The event is co-organised by the BSEC Business Council and the National Confederation
of Entrepreneurs of Azerbaijan, with the official support of the Ministry of Culture
and Tourism of Azerbaijan, the Ministry of Agriculture of Azerbaijan, the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Economic Development of
Azerbaijan and under the auspices of Greek and Turkish Embassies in Baku. It will
be held in honour of the celebration of “Baku Islamic Cultural Capital 2009”
The conference will host both olive oil producers-traders and people launching
initiatives around the olive oil culture in the region (i.e. International Olive Council
activities, Routes of Olive Oil -Council of Europe/UNESCO, Mediterranean network
of olive oil museums, etc.) and will give the opportunity to explore cooperation in
the region. Experts and business people from BSEC olive oil producer countries
(Albania, Azerbaijan, Greece and Turkey), international organisations and third
countries are expected to participate.
The conference will provide a unique opportunity for business and government officials
to explore the potentials of this dynamic region as well as the extensive networking
opportunities. It is a very timely occasion to gain first hand knowledge of the key
dynamics shaping the region’s agriculture future.
For more information please contact:
International Secretariat of the BSEC Business Council
Address: Müþir Fuad Paþa Yalýsý, Eski Tersane, 34460 Ýstinye – Istanbul, Turkey
Tel: (+90-212) 229 11 14, 229 11 44 Fax: (+90-212) 229 03 32
info@bsec-business.org
National Confederation of Entrepreneurs of Azerbaijan
Address: 57, Acad. Hasan Aliyev, 3rd floor,
AZ 1110 Baku Azerbaijan Republic
Tel.: (+99412) 465 72 42 / 465 72 43 / Fax: (+99412) 465 72 43
E-mail: office@ask.org.az pr_dep@ask.org.az

Venue
14.00 – 14.30
14.30 – 15.10
Caucas Point Hotel - Baku Conference Hall (6th floor)
Registration
P ROGRAMME
Opening
Introduction by
Ms. E. Bacopoulou, Secretary General, BSEC Business Council
Mr. Zakir Azimov, Vice-President, National Confederation of Entrepreneurs of Azerbaijan
key speaker–inauguration of the conference by
H.E. Sevda Mammadaliyeva, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan
Opening remarks by
Ambassador Altai Efendiev, Head of Department of Economic Cooperation and Development, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Azerbaijan
H.E. Hulusi Kýlýç, Ambassador of Turkey
H.E. Ioannis Metaxas, Ambassador of Greece
15.10 – 16.45
SESSION I
Doing business in olive oil sector around the wider Black Sea area
Moderator: Mr. Mahammadali Afandiyev, Secretary General, National Confederation of Entrepreneurs of Azerbaijan
Speakers:
• Mr. Dritan Ziu, Agrarian Engineer, Albinspekt, Albania
• Mr. Salman Jafarov, founder of the “3-MS Ltd” tinned olives and olive oil producing company, Azerbaijan
• Mr. Panayotis Karantonis, Secretary General, Hellenic Association of Olive Oil Packers (ESVITE), Greece
• Mr. Ali Nedim Güreli, President, Aegean Olive and Olive Oil Exporters’ Association, Turkey
• Representative from International Olive Council (tbc)
Discussion
16.45 – 17.00
17.00 – 18.30
Coffee Break
SESSION II
Bringing together people through cultural olive initiatives
Moderator: Mr. Zakir Azimov, Vice-President, National Confederation of Entrepreneurs of Azerbaijan
Speakers :
• ‘The olive cultivation in the Caspian Sea’
Mr. Tofik Hadjiev, Branch Manager, Absheron Subtropical Plants Station, Azerbaijan
• ‘History of the olive oil in the Caspian’
Ms. Saida Mehdiyeva, Lecturer at the Baku Slavic University, Azerbaijan
• ‘The origin of the olive tree and its appearance in the regions of East Mediterranean and Caspian Seas’
Ms. Aikaterini Polymerou-Kamilaki, Director, Hellenic Folklore Research Centre, Academy of Athens, Greece
• ‘Studying, preserving and promoting the olive cultural heritage: The creation of an olive museum’
Mr. Andreas Lapourtas, Archeologist-Museologist, Piraeus Bank Group Cultural Foundation (PIOP), Greece
• ‘Building contact networks through the ’Routes of Olive Oil’ UNESCO/Council of Europe initiatives’
Mr. Rahmi Gencer, President of Ayvalýk Chamber of Commerce, Turkey
Discussion
18.30 – 20.00
Cocktail offered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Confederation of Entrepreneurs of Azerbaijan
to the honour of the participants
Optional
- Matchmaking business programme (one-on-one meetings)after the official programme
- Cultural programme to be organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan