OREANDA-NEWS. December 03, 2010. The presentation of a new social organization - Central Asia and South Caucasus Association (CASCA) was held in London, in the British Parliament. The Association, on a plan of its founders, has an important role in strengthening of economic and cultural ties between Great Britain and the countries of the region, reported the press-centre of IBA.

The initiators of CASCA and its organizers were the British Centre for Asia (Asia House) and the Britain Azerbaijan Business Council, and a major sponsor - the International Bank of Azerbaijan.

The Association presentation was held in a festive atmosphere, with the participation of more than 200 guests, including members of the House of Lords and House of Representatives of the British Parliament, senior officials of the British government, representatives of leading British companies and non-governmental organizations, as well as ambassadors of the countries of the region, accredited in London. Much of the press testified the increased public interest in the event.

The House of Lords Master of Ceremonies acted as the host. At the presentation spoke the chairman of the Multi-party Parliamentary Group on Central Asia, Lord Waverly, Executive Director of the British Committee on Trade and Investment (as the Minister), Sir Andrew Cahn, the Minister of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Great Britain, Lord Howell, Executive Director of the British Centre for Asia, Roddy Gow, the Adviser of the International Bank of Azerbaijan, Lyndsey Howard and the Executive Director of CASCA, Michael Thomas.

With great attention the ceremony participants perceived a written greeting of the President of the International Bank of Azerbaijan Dj.Gadjiev, which particularly highlighted the role and prospects of strengthening of the economic ties between Great Britain and the countries of the region, particularly Azerbaijan.

Participants of the event were pleased to note that for the last year the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Great Britain has more than doubled, while the share of non-oil products in mutual trade continues to grow at an accelerated pace. In the course of the presentation they have repeatedly stressed that the multifunctional activities of the association, multi-aspect events carried out by it, including the systematic organization of visits of the representatives of the Western business communities to the region, will strengthen not only economic but also political and cultural ties between Great Britain and the countries of Central Asia and the Central Caucasus, and Azerbaijan can successfully take the role of “main gate” in this process.

At the meeting of the Constituent Committee of CASCA, held the day before the presentation, the Institute of Strategic Studies of the Caucasus (Baku, Azerbaijan) was accepted as a member of the Association.