SOFAZ expands investment cooperation with China

A delegation of the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ), led by Executive Director Israfil Mammadov, paid a working visit to China on September 6–11 to strengthen investment cooperation and expand opportunities for mutually beneficial partnerships.

According to Report, citing SOFAZ, the delegation held meetings with representatives of a number of international financial institutions, investment companies and government bodies and participated in major regional events during the visit.

A key part of the visit took place in Xiamen during the China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT), where SOFAZ representatives attended the opening ceremony.

The delegation also held meetings with Qingsong Zhang, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CIC, and Bruce Flatt, Chief Executive Officer of Brookfield Asset Management.

SOFAZ Executive Director Israfil Mammadov later participated in a roundtable chaired by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng. The event brought together senior officials from China's central and regional government bodies, as well as executives of major global corporations and representatives of companies operating in the energy, finance, industry, technology, healthcare and consumer sectors.

Mammadov also spoke at a panel discussion dedicated to the China-ASEAN Joint Investment Council (CAJIC) during the "China Outbound Investment" session.

The discussion, attended by leading sovereign investors from the region, focused on opportunities to attract more investment through joint activities and strengthen capital flows between China and ASEAN.

Mammadov said China and ASEAN markets should no longer be viewed separately but as a single economic ecosystem.

He noted that cooperation with the region for SOFAZ means not only allocating capital but also building reliable partnerships and gaining deep market expertise.

Mammadov also said SOFAZ's participation in this format was strategically important for strengthening Azerbaijan's financial ties with Asian markets.

During the visit, the SOFAZ delegation also expanded its cooperation with Brookfield Asset Management, one of the world's leading financial companies.

The delegation attended a forum organized by Brookfield Asset Management in Hong Kong, where participants discussed the current state of global capital markets and investment prospects in credit, infrastructure, energy, real estate and private equity.

Leading international institutional investors also presented their views on emerging trends in these areas.

According to SOFAZ, the results of the visit demonstrate the continued expansion of the Fund's investment ties in Asia.

Meetings with CIC are expected to further deepen SOFAZ's institutional relationships in the market, while its status as one of the founding members of CAJIC strengthens its position within the network of the region's leading sovereign funds.

At the same time, broader cooperation with global institutional investors such as Brookfield Asset Management provides SOFAZ with direct knowledge of regional markets, reliable partners and access to new investment opportunities.

The visit also carries broader strategic significance for Azerbaijan.

As the Middle Corridor plays an increasingly important role in strengthening links between Asia and Europe, Azerbaijan's strategic position between the two regions is becoming more significant.

The expansion of SOFAZ's cooperation with leading Asian investment institutions complements this physical connectivity with stronger financial links, bringing Azerbaijan closer to Asia both geographically and economically.