New video channel for businesses: ICC and Caucasian Journal present EURICA

By Natalia Kochiashvili

Tuesday, October 20

Fady ASLY, Chairman of ICC Georgia: “We are introducing EURICA to offer a unique investment promotion toolset not just to ICC members, but to all companies with sound, well-prepared investment projects.”

EURICA offers production of videos and publications through its channels on YouTube, LinkedIn, and other electronic and printed mass media and social networks, as well as direct promotion to interested investors through ICC global network.

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Georgia, set up the first Eurasia Investment Channel for a worldwide promotion of the best investment projects in Georgia and in the wider region.

EURICA (Eurasia Investment Channel and Analytics) will select the best investment projects and cover them with a video in which the Chairman of ICC-Georgia Mr. Fady Asly will be the anchor, offering maximum promotion and exposure for those projects through international news distribution channels and through the global ICC network. The Messenger is offering an interview with the chairman of the ICC, Fady Asly, discussing what EURICA has to present.

Emphasizing the importance of business development in our country, especially given the global crisis caused by the pandemic, I would like to ask you how was the idea of creating EURICA born?

The idea of the project came to our partner, Alexander Kafka, editor-in-chief of the Caucasian Journal, who approached me and asked for my opinion about this concept. Usually, I’m quite hesitant about people coming with their projects, so many people knock my door with proposals, but when Alex talked to me, I immediately understood the value of such a project for the business community and for the country.

Caucasian Journal is a multilingual online media platform launched in 2019 for impartial constructive dialogue on civil society, democracy, corporate social responsibility, and other significant issues relevant to the South Caucasian region.

What are the main goals of this project?

Firstly, the main goal of EURICA is to secure investors for companies who are looking for capital – we only deal with serious and credible companies, who have a history of good morality and business ethics. I am the anchor of the YouTube channel, and since EURICA is established by the ICC along with Channel Georgia Consulting (a major consulting firm covering East and Central Asia, South Caucasus, and Eastern Europe), and with the Caucasian Journal, we have a big responsibility when it comes to endorsing a company. We must make sure that whoever we discuss the investment plans with, is trustworthy and reliable, because any video presented by the ICC gives international credibility to this particular company.

We are also happy to cooperate with other companies who are not looking for capital but who would like to advertise their operations both locally and internationally.

EURICA focuses a lot on start-ups, we help young people with good ideas and who are looking for mentors or investors; we interview them, discuss their business plans and make sure that the video reaches the institutions that are interested in such start-ups.

We promote our channel and those episodes through the ICC network internationally in 1up to 30 countries. Those ‘video business cards,’ reach the target companies operational in the corresponding sector.

Besides identifying investors and promoting companies we focus a lot on business ethics and proper business practices at the work place.

What are the expectations of tangible results and how do you measure them?

We have already produced a video for a major company that is looking for international partners for one of their industries, within couple of weeks we identified three major potential partners for them. So, we measure the efficiency based on the results.

Given the challenges that Covid-19 has brought to the whole world, most of the businesses have switched to online platforms, working remotely. Though for some this is portrayed as a backstep, it shouldn’t be the case for EURICA; Furthermore, such a situation can be very beneficial and cost-effective. How has it been working out?

Since everyone is going online, it couldn't have been a better timing than now. For example, at the moment we are in talks with a major exposition centre in Georgia, who are looking to find international counterparts for their clients, considering the challenging times we are going through.

All the work will be done online through one of our correspondents in Singapore.

I guess that the silver lining of the COVID crisis is that we are getting used to operate online without the need for physical interaction anymore.

We have also prepared a video about the Zedazeni Group, all the information that any potential partner needs to know about that Group is in the video; this means that there is no need any more for any potential international partner of the Zedazeni Group to travel physically to Georgia in order to get acquainted with their activities.

In the video, they can see the managers talking in person, they can also visit all the facilities and businesses of this group ,and all the main questions that they may have are answered in the video by the management

Why should a company contact EURICA if they want to do business in Georgia in the region?

As of now, mostly local Georgian companies contact us hoping to promote themselves or hoping to find investors for their businesses, and this is what we do the best.

Worthy to note though that EURICA covers as well all the countries of the Caucasus, Central Asia and Eastern Europe.