The New Geography of Investment Kommersant Club session was held in Sea Breeze with the participation of business leaders and members of the diplomatic corps
On May 26, the Sea Breeze resort city hosted a Kommersant Club session titled The New Geography of Investment, dedicated to the region’s economic potential, the development of international cooperation, and the prospects for implementing large-scale infrastructure projects.
The event brought together representatives of government institutions, the financial sector, the diplomatic corps, and the business community. Discussions focused on Azerbaijan’s investment attractiveness, government support measures, tax incentives, the ESG agenda, and the role of large-scale development initiatives in strengthening the regional economy.
AZPROMO Executive Director Yusif Abdullayev presented an overview of current economic trends and outlined opportunities for international investors.
“The 2020–2021 pandemic significantly slowed the development of the tourism industry; however, today we are witnessing a gradual recovery in tourist flows and investment activity. In this context, the implementation of infrastructure projects such as Sea Breeze is seen as a logical continuation of the country’s development process,” noted Yusif Abdullayev.
Elmir Habibullayev, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of ABB, highlighted the advantages of Azerbaijan’s infrastructure for international business and emphasized the potential for strengthening business ties between Azerbaijan and Russia.
Mikhail Yevdokimov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Azerbaijan, addressed issues related to regional stability, industrial cooperation, tourism, and humanitarian collaboration between the two countries.
“Cultural cooperation between our countries is developing very successfully. Sea Breeze is also an important part of the humanitarian and cultural partnership between Russia and Azerbaijan,” emphasized Mikhail Yevdokimov.
He also expressed confidence in the continued growth of tourist flows: “We expect that as early as next year or in the coming years, we will reach the figure of one million Russian tourists visiting Azerbaijan annually.”
Emin Agalarov, Chairman of the Azerbaijan-Russia Business Council, President of Agalarov Development, and founder of Sea Breeze, presented the projects being implemented within the resort area and spoke about the factors shaping Sea Breeze’s investment appeal and the potential of Azerbaijan’s coastline.
“When we first started building here, it was a very small project. But if we speak about the resort’s key advantage today, it lies not only in the numbers, property values, or sales growth. The most important thing is the increasing value of the environment surrounding people,” said Emin Agalarov.
He also emphasized that the project continues to develop actively as a long-term initiative focused on creating a modern resort and urban environment with expanding infrastructure for living, recreation, and investment.
As part of the session, Anton Agapov, Deputy CEO of the YES apart-hotel chain, presented the company’s project at Sea Breeze and discussed its potential for both private and corporate investors.
The second part of the session featured an interview between Sea Breeze founder and Agalarov Development President Emin Agalarov and Kommersant FM host Pyotr Kosenko.
He spoke about the project’s development, infrastructure expansion, and Sea Breeze’s investment strategy. According to him, large-scale landscaping efforts are ongoing throughout the resort, with approximately 11 million trees and plants adapted to the region’s climate already planted.
“We import plants from Spain — palm trees, agaves, rosemary, and other species. We selected them over the course of 20 years to ensure they could withstand the climate, wind, and salty environment,” he noted.
The founder of Sea Breeze also stressed that the project’s development became possible thanks to modern engineering infrastructure, including water and power supply systems.
“We are confident in the foundation we have built over the past 20 years and can offer investors clear and transparent conditions,” added Emin Agalarov.
This year, Sea Breeze celebrates its 20th anniversary. Over this time, the project has evolved from the idea of a resort поселок on the Caspian coast into one of the largest private development and lifestyle projects on the European continent. Today, Sea Breeze is a place where architecture, infrastructure, nature, technology, and culture function as a unified system.