In his opening speech, Tajikistan’s ambassador H.E. Sohibnazar Gayratsho pointed to the potential of the Nowruz economic area, with around 300 million people. Only in the 60 million people hosting Central Asian Nowruz countries, which opened their doors more and more, as Tajikistan, there would be best investment opportunities for medium-sized companies.
Mittelstand Connects
The New Silk Road Initiative also contributes to this – in the spirit of the Nowruz Festival, which unites many people from different places, said Xiaohui Du, Consul General of the People's Republic of China, in his welcoming speech. And the experienced development politician Jürgen Klimke also encouraged German companies to profit more intensively from the favorable conditions in the Nowruz countries within the framework of economic cooperation. Finally, Kourosh Pourkian, President of the Nowruz Forum Germany and Honorary Consul of Tajikistan, pointed to the potential of the city of Hamburg with its more than 100,000 citizens celebrating Nowruz to play a key role in building bridges between Germany and the Nowruz countries.
The panel discussions gave an insight of the possibilities of building up economic bridges. Under the moderation of Eduard Kinsbruner the reform processes in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan were highlighted in order to attract foreign investments, especially in the areas of infrastructure, green energies and tourism industry.
Mirco Nowak moderated the second panel focused on the opportunities and challenges with reports about experiences in medical supplies, education programs to improve health care quality and local licensing brewing. Other topics included financing instruments and safeguards for export business and the challenges of importing food from the Nowruz countries and the attractiveness of business and private travel to the Nowruz region.
The host Kourosh Pourkian concludes: "Today's exchange has confirmed that "Made in Germany" still enjoys a high status in the Nowruz countries. For the German Mittelstand, it is now important, also regarding the EU's Central Asia strategy, to profit from these great expansion opportunities – also in the interests of international peacekeeping.“
9th Nowruz Cultural Forum Culture and the Economy: Understanding the Dynamics
The traditional Nowruz dinner and the Nowruz cultural evening following the Nowruz Economic Forum are in the tradition of social scientist Peter Szokol. "Because once you have fed, laughed and danced together, experienced this very special Nowruz joy together, then a connection has been created on which something can be built," says initiator Kourosh Pourkian, whose heart's interest is to build economic and cultural bridges between Hamburg or Northern Germany respectively and the Nowruz countries. The greater was the joy to to present to his guests for the first time music groups from two Nowruz countries.
Before the artists from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan cast a spell over the guests, Danial Ilkhanipour, member of the Hamburg State Parliament, of Iranian origin, delivered a very personal greeting. As a child, the SPD politician had estimated between Christmas and Easter to celebrate with Nowruz another family event and maintain the relationship to his roots. This is all the more important in times when the question of whether integration succeeds dominates political discussion. "I am deeply convinced that to live customs is not just a barrier to integration, but rather essential for a successful integration," said Ilkhanipour, who touched the hearts of the numerous guests with Nowruz migration background, among them as well as numerous DAAD exchange students. And what has long been a tradition in America, has arrived at the Hamburg Nowruz Forum: a Nowruz message from the White House in Washington, read by David Zeller, President of the American Club of Hamburg.
Save the Date:
The 10th Nowruz Cultural Forum will be held on March 26, 2020. More information about the Nowruz Cultural Forum at www.nowruzforum.hamburg