INTERVIEWS
Azerbaijan is associated with national leader Heydar Aliyev
Q: We are on the eve of the 91st anniversary of national leader Heydar Aliyev. We would like you to give an insight into the history of how Azerbaijan, which secured its independence 23 years ago, has been moving towards today`s achievements.
A: After restoration of independence in 1991, the Republic of Azerbaijan began to realize its sovereign rights in economic field and to implement independent policy. The main directions of this policy are organization of the economic system based on different types of property, transition to market economy and integration into the global economy.
National leader Heydar Aliyev's return to the government in 1993 by the will and request of the people laid the foundation for the dramatic changes in the political and economic life of Azerbaijan.
The discussions and talks on the oil contract were in fact resumed and at last following the hard process of negotiations the country agreed on such provisions of the contract that would fully correspond to the interests of Azerbaijan.
The oil contract signed with the oil companies of the West in Gulistan palace of Baku on September 20, 1994 opened a new page in the history of the country. Later, the said contract called the contract of the century was perpetuated in the oil chronicle of independent Azerbaijan.
The signing and implementation of the contract famous as the contract of century in the entire world is the brilliant demonstration of the realization of oil strategy constituting the concept of the economic development of independent Azerbaijan and worked out by the prominent politician, national leader Heydar Aliyev.
Q: Could you please highlight the post-2003 period?
A: The President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev successfully and confidently continued and made it rapid and sustainable progress, development strategy determined and led to bright future of the citizens by national leader Heydar Aliyev, and made it rapid and sustainable progress. The last 10 years have been an important period of dynamic socioeconomic development and a stage of democratic and modern state building in Azerbaijan. While relying on strong popular support, we have made great achievements thanks to President Ilham Aliyev`s following the political course of our national leader Heydar Aliyev, who established strong public and political stability and laid the foundation of economic reforms. Numerous state programs outlining both the general direction of the country’s development and the specific work to be done in all areas that have been adopted and successfully implemented. These activities have had an important impact on the socioeconomic development of the country, improved the well being of the population, and facilitated the solution of other problems facing our citizens. The launch of Azerbaijan’s new oil strategy has opened up extensive opportunities for the implementation of all our future plans. The launch of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline in 2006, and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline after that, ushered in the renewal and diversification of Caspian hydrocarbon export infrastructure, and secured the direct access of Azerbaijani oil and gas to world markets. These have become landmark events—not only for the past 10 years, but also in the years of Azerbaijan’s independence in general.
Over the last 10 years we have diversified and tripled the range of our economy, created a modern social and economic infrastructure, and secured the dynamic development of the non-oil sector.
As a result of the implementation of important state programs and large-scale infrastructure projects, the appearance of cities, villages, and settlements across the Republic has changed beyond recognition, while the living standards of the population have dramatically improved.
Azerbaijan is currently the leading country in the region from the standpoint of its economic potential. Our economy accounts for more than 80% of the South Caucasus economy.
Azerbaijan launched its first telecommunications satellite into orbit. It was a very significant and historic day, and a major achievement for our country. The decision to put an Azerbaijani satellite into orbit was made in 2008. In 2009, we adopted a relevant state program, Azerkosmos JSC was established in 2010.
According to the decree signed on January 16, 2013 by President of Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev, the year of 2013 was declared the “Year of information communication technologies in Azerbaijan”.
Q: How does Azerbaijan`s overall development impact on the activities of Aztelekom?
A: Azerbaijan is the first CIS country, where all residential areas were provided with telephone lines and a telephone network was built. We ensured the complete shift to a 7-digit numbering system.
In 2013 during the presidential election, we ensured the provision of high-quality communication to regions and installation of web cameras in polling stations and constituencies.
Aztelekom ensured the installation of telephone lines in a total of 3,010 polling stations in 86 constituencies.
During the presidential election in 2008, Aztelekom set up 286 web cameras. In the last election our company installed 669 web cameras.
Last year alone we built more than 1,000km long fever optic cable enabling digital connection of EATSto the network. Aztelekom built EATS in more than 30residential areas for refugees and internally displaced people, and built nearly 10,000 subscriber lines.
We are now working to install NGN, MSAN, ONU technologies in 63 residential areas in Abseron, Samaxı, Qusar, Lerik, Calilabad, Agdam, Zaqatala, Agstafa, Agcabədi, Samkir, Ucar, Gancə, Saki, Fuzuli, Barda, Tar-Tar, Goygol, Sabran, Quba and Hacıqabul.
During the year minister of communications and high technologies Ali Abbasov paid on-field visits to regions where he received local residents. As a result of this EATS were installed in seven residential areas in Samkir, Barda, Tar-Tar, Quba, Sabran regions.
Q: What about the application of ICT in the country`s regions?
A: In accordance with "Concept on Development of Broadband Internet services in the regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2011-2013", ADSL and other network equipment have been installed in a number of regional centers and 236 villages by "Aztelecom" PU.
New ADSL ports were put into operation in the villages and centers of Agdam, Agstafa, Agcabadi, Beylagan, Calilabad, Lankaran, Ucar, Xacmaz, Quba, Baku, Qabala, Saki, Goy-Gol, Qax, Balakan, Barda, Samkir, Tovuz, Qazax, Imisli, Sirvan.
Aztelekom is now implementing the next phase of the development of broadband Internet for 2013-2015.
Optic lines with length of 514 kilometers were laid in 17 telecommunications nodes (TKN) of the PA through the efforts of seven private providers involved in the project in the frame of the first phase.
Connecting lines in 12 of 17 telecommunications nodes of state operator are transferred to the optical line.
Total of 1,700 kilometers of optic lines were laid since the realization of the project.
Today, the number of broadband connections in the network of Aztelekom production association exceeds 100,000 units.