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German-Azerbaijani Forum elects new board

Urs Unkauf is the new Chairman of the Board
August 1, 2025
August 1, 2025
Continuity and renewal in the German-Azerbaijani Forum - from left to right: former State Secretary Hanns-Eberhard Schleyer (Chairman of the Board 2013-2025), Urs Unkauf (Chairman of the Board since July 2025), lawyer Parvis Yazdani (Managing Director). (Photo: DAF)

The German-Azerbaijani Forum (DAF) e.V. has elected a new board of directors. Urs Unkauf was unanimously appointed Chairman of the Board. The Eastern Europe and South Caucasus expert succeeds former State Secretary Hanns-Eberhard Schleyer, who has shaped the Forum for many years with his great commitment.

Urs Unkauf, a high-profile personality with extensive experience in foreign trade cooperation and political communication, is taking over the management of the forum. As Federal Managing Director and Chief Representative of the Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade (BWA) and as an expert on the region, Unkauf has participated in numerous bilateral events, delegation trips and economic policy dialogues in recent years. Among other things, he was active as a speaker at high-level panel discussions on stability and security in the South Caucasus, for example within the framework of the German Parliamentary Society. With his combination of regional policy expertise, economic networking experience and intercultural competence, Urs Unkauf is ideally suited to lead the German-Azerbaijani Forum into a future-oriented phase.

The German-Azerbaijani Forum is a non-partisan platform for promoting relations between Germany and Azerbaijan. Since its foundation, it has organized conferences, cultural events and business trips, including the renowned symposium “Stability and Security in the South Caucasus”, which is regularly attended by leading players from politics, business, science and diplomacy.

The election of Urs Unkauf marks the beginning of a new phase in the development of the forum. The new CEO wants to strengthen the Forum's proven foundations and at the same time provide new momentum - particularly with regard to expanding economic and institutional cooperation, promoting cultural and scientific dialogue and involving the younger generation in German-Azerbaijani exchange.

Azerbaijan is a strategically and economically important partner country for Germany. The forum will continue to help build trust, build bridges and identify and realize joint opportunities“, said the new CEO Unkauf after his election by the general meeting.

The Board also includes: Prof. Dr. mult. Reza Talebi-Daryani, former MdB Helga Daub, former State Secretary Dr. August Hanning, former State Secretary Dr. Wolf-Ruthart Born, former State Secretary Dr. Hans-Friedrich von Plötz, Elmar Mamedov, Bahattin Kaya, Samira Patzer-Ismailova, Fidan Damer, Enrico Seewald, RA Kai Scholz, Prof. Dr. Wilfried Fuhrmann, RA Parvis O. Yazdani as managing director and former State Secretary Otto Hauser as honorary chairman.