BSEC member states discuss possibilities of cooperation in ICT field
The meeting of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC) member states on information and communication technologies took place in Baku on December 4 as part of the Bakutel 2018, the 24th Azerbaijan International Telecommunications, Innovations and High Technologies Exhibition.
The event was attended by heads of BSEC member states in the relevant field, high-ranking representatives of international organizations and institutions.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Transport, Communications and High Technologies Elmir Velizade said that since the establishment of the BSEC, the ICT field has been identified as the priority area of cooperation that can stimulate economic relations among member states. “Today’s meeting is a good opportunity to discuss the results and identify promising areas of cooperation in the field of ICT in our region. Digital technologies create favorable and flexible opportunities for accelerating the development, especially in developing countries and their integration into the global economy. The development of high technologies in Azerbaijan, including ICT is a priority of the state policy of economic and comprehensive development of the country. Today, one of the long-term development trends in Azerbaijan is the diversification of the economy. For this purpose, along with the formation of the digital economy, an Action Plan for transition to digital government is currently under development. Also, a particular attention is paid to the development of ICT infrastructure”.
Elmir Velizade said that strategic vision of Azerbaijan for the development of ICT by 2020 is reflected in the National Strategy for the development of information society. This document is intended to enhance the application of modern fixed and mobile communication technologies, increase ICT utilization, increase the capacity of internet resources for providing various services, meet the needs of information society and facilitate to form the digital economy.
The Deputy Minister noted that the Republic of Azerbaijan has been actively involved in broad international cooperation as a reliable and stable partner and is both an initiator and participant of large regional projects.
“I am confident that the issues discussed at today’s meeting and the decisions made on them will contribute to further development of ICT in BSEC member states in the future”.
Then, the meeting discussed the current state of cooperation in the field of ICT and new opportunities for cooperation in the BSEC region.
Following the event, the Baku Declaration on cooperation in the field of ICT in the BSEC region was adopted.
At the same time, a meeting of BSEC Working Group on Information and Communication Technologies was held at the expert level on December 3, before the ministerial meeting. Some 35 representatives took part in the meeting of the Working Group, and about 50 representatives participated at the Ministerial meeting.
It should be noted that Azerbaijan has been a founding member of the BSEC since 1992. Headquartered in Istanbul (Turkey), the organization has 12 permanent members and 17 observers.
Azerbaijan has been chairing the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization since July 2018.
