On 14 October 2026, EAST CCI of Norway organized the Black Sea Conference 2026, hosted by our main sponsor and member company DLA Piper Norway, in Oslo.
The conference brought together diplomats, government representatives, business leaders and industry experts to explore the growing importance of the Black Sea region. The discussions highlighted the region’s strategic significance, the development of the Middle Corridor, and the potential for stronger commercial cooperation.
The programme featured valuable insights from diplomatic representatives, including:
– A welcome speech from Lars Børresen, Deputy Director, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
– Adil Tursunov, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Norway
– Elchin Ibadov, Chairperson of the Türkiye–Norway Business Council, DEİK – Foreign Economic Relations Board
– Oleksiy Gavrysh, Ambassador of Ukraine to Norway
– Paul Ciocoiu, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Romania in Norway
– Rakhmatulla Nurrimbetov, Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Sweden.
The conference also brought together Norwegian companies and organisations with knowledge and practical experience in the region:
– Kaare Haahjem, Senior Client Executive at Eksfin – Eksportfinansiering Norge
– Kjetil Haare Johansen, Partner at DLA Piper Norway
– Ole Christian Hole, Business Development Manager at AMOF Fjell Process Technology AS
– Felix H. Tschudi, Chairman and CEO of Tschudi Shipping Company AS
– Ronny Solberg, Chair of the Board.
Their contributions highlighted practical experiences, lessons learned and strategic perspectives on doing business in the Black Sea region.
During the conference, the official signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between EAST CCI of Norway and DEİK – Foreign Economic Relations Board also took place within the framework of the Türkiye–Norway Business Council 🇳🇴🇹🇷. This agreement marks an important step towards strengthening business relations and creating new opportunities for Norwegian and Turkish companies.
The conference featured two engaging panel discussions, one following each main part of the programme, bringing together country representatives, business leaders and industry experts. The discussions explored business development across the Black Sea region, addressed practical challenges, shared valuable lessons learned and offered advice on navigating the region’s markets. The lively exchanges encouraged active participation and provided valuable insights into future business opportunities and strategies for successful cross-border cooperation.
We thank main sponsor, DLA Piper Norway, sponsors Jotun and Tersan Shipyard, and key partners Oslo Chamber of Commerce / ICC Norway and Shipping & Offshore Network, partner airline Turkish Airlines for the contribution. Special thanks to moderator, Svein Stolpestad, Group Vice President at Jotun A/S, for leading the discussions.
