Azernews.Az

By Nigar Orujova

Afghanistan is ready to consider the possibility of using the resources of Azerbaijan's first telecommunications satellite Azerspace, Afghan Minister of Communication and Information Technology Amirzai Sangin said in Baku at a meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ali Abbasov on June 10.

Sangin said his country began to develop the ICT sector 10 years ago. Nonetheless, he said, there are still problems in this area that Afghanistan intends to solve through international cooperation, in particular, the exchange of experience with Azerbaijan in the field of e-governance and e-solutions.

Minister Abbasov, in turn, said Azerbaijan's ICT sector has entered a new stage of development and emphasized the possibility of using the services of the Azerspace-1 satellite by Afghanistan.

Launched in February, Azerspace-1 was on trials until March. The test operation period ended in April and in May the satellite started yielding revenue. The satellite is designed to provide digital TV and radio services, Internet access, data transmission, VSAT multi-service networks and governmental communications.

Some 80 percent of the satellite's resources are available for commercial purposes. The satellite's services cover Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia and North Africa.

The two ministers also touched upon the possibility of Afghanistan's involvement in such major projects as Trans-Eurasian Information Super Highway, TASIM, and Europe Persia Express Gateway (EPEG), which can significantly contribute to the development of the ICT sector in Afghanistan.

The sides decided to establish a working group for further ICT cooperation between the two countries and prepare relevant proposals.

Afghanistan has repeatedly expressed interest in cooperation with Azerbaijan in the field of information and communication technologies, and taking into account Azerbaijan's achievements in e-governance, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Country Offices in Azerbaijan and Afghanistan have reached an agreement to provide assistance to Afghanistan.

Security and military defense ties

Relations in security and military defense between Azerbaijan and Afghanistan were also in focus during the Baku visit of the Afghan communications minister.

Azerbaijani-Afghan bilateral relations were mulled at a meeting of First Deputy Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament Ziyafet Asgarov, who chairs the parliamentary committee on security and defense, with the Afghan delegation headed by Amirzai Sangin.

Asgarov noted the close relations between Azerbaijan and Afghanistan and the increasing intensity of these ties in recent years, saying that such meetings serve as a stimulus for the development of relations between the two peoples.

He pointed out that Afghanistan was one of the first countries to recognize the independence of Azerbaijan.

Then, the deputy speaker spoke of bilateral relations in the fields of security and defense and also emphasized that Azerbaijani peacekeepers are serving in Afghanistan.

The sides also touched upon the successful activity of the friendship groups between the parliaments of the two countries and stressed the importance of boosting bilateral trade.

Sangin, for his part, said Azerbaijan is a fraternal and friendly country for Afghanistan and that the two nations share national and spiritual values as well as many commonalities in culture.

Noting the rapid development of Azerbaijan in recent years, he said that Azerbaijan, the most successful country in the region, has repeatedly provided fraternal assistance to Afghanistan.

The parties also mulled Azerbaijan's participation in global projects, strengthening of the defense systems of the two countries and other issues.