A meeting took place between the leadership of the European Arbitration Chamber (EAC) and the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce Arbitration and Mediation Center (ITOTAM), during which participants discussed prospects for cooperation.

The meeting was attended by President of the EAC, Mr. Hennadii Pampukha, EAC representative in Turkey, Mr. Avni Demirci, member of the Qualification Commission and international arbitrator of the International Commercial Arbitration Court under the EAC, Mr. Rasim Orucov and the representatives from the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce Arbitration and Mediation Center (ITOTAM) – the Secretary General, Mrs. Senem Bahçekapili Vincenzi, Mr. Alper Yeşiltaş, and attorney M. M. Bugrahan Helvaci.

As a result of the meeting, the decision was made to formalize the collaboration by signing a Memorandum of Cooperation between the two organizations.

Furthermore, discussions encompassed various aspects of cooperation within the domain of alternative dispute resolution. Particular emphasis was placed on the significance of nurturing international commercial arbitration and expertise to enable effective dispute resolution in Turkey.

Among the main agreements was the commitment to exchange professional experience between the EAC and the ITOTAM. The parties reached mutual consensus on the exchange of arbitrators and the potential participation of ITOTAM representatives in the certification course for arbitrators, facilitated by the European Arbitration Chamber.

An additional crucial topic under discussion involved partnering to support the Istanbul Arbitration Week 2023 forum. This event, organized by the Energy Disputes Arbitration Center  (Ankara) and supported by the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, garnered considerable attention from both parties.

In addition, both parties outlined their collaboration plans in the field of forensic examination, including the assessment of art objects. Specifically, as per the accord reached, experts from the International Center for Judicial and ADR Expertise under the European Arbitration Chamber may be appointed as a experts in ITOTAM's arbitration processes.

Both organizations expressed a shared conviction that this collaboration will contribute to the advancement of commercial arbitration and expertise. This, in turn, will substantively contribute to more effective resolutions of international commercial disputes.