Azerbaijan, IAF mull high technology, space industry

By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov and International Astronautical Federation’s (IAF) President Pascale Ehrenfreund have discussed the achievements in the development of high technology and space industry by Azerbaijan.

During the meeting held in Baku, the parties stressed the historical significance of holding the International Astronautics Congress in Baku in 2023. They described it as a clear indication of the international space community’s recognition of Azerbaijan's success in this area.

Moreover, the parties emphasized that Azerbaijan has rich experience in hosting large-scale international events and at the same time the country has a modern infrastructure.

The parties noted that all the facts create favorable conditions for holding the congress at a high level. In addition, Azerbaijan’s readiness to provide the necessary support in this direction was stressed.

Furthermore, the sides underlined that Azerbaijan is one of the few members of the international space club, and the country is interested in cooperation with the International Astronautical Federation.

Moreover, they focused on the reconstruction carried out in Azerbaijan’s liberated lands and emphasized the important role of satellites in this process.

The establishment and further development of the aerospace industry in Azerbaijan has been pushed forward with the continuous support shown by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev towards the development of the ICT sector in the country. 

During the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers dedicated to the discussion of the results of Azerbaijan's socio-economic development over the first half of 2008, the president set a task on the “establishment of a modern aerospace industry in Azerbaijan and the launch of the country’s telecommunication satellite into orbit”. 

In May 2010, the presidential decree ref. 885 established Azercosmos, with the purpose to implement the launch, operation, and exploitation of the telecommunication satellites of Azerbaijan. Currently, Azercosmos is the only satellite operator in the South Caucasus region and provides high-quality satellite services for telecommunications and geographic intelligence.