Azerbaijani citizens to be provided with biometric passports till 2012

Most countries in the world move to this system to ensure effectiveness of preventive measures to fight transnational crime, illegal trafficking in arms and drug smuggling, other serious crimes. Azerbaijan has adopted a state program to establish a national system of biometric identification.

According to Najafov, the new biometric passports will include information on facial features, finger and palm prints of the passport holder. The new generation' passports will also indicate a personal identification number of the owner, he said.

"After 2012, Azerbaijan's citizens will not be able to travel to Europe and America with the old passports. The state program covers the development of an appropriate legislative framework, information systems, ensuring information security, manufacturing and issuing biometric passports to the new generation," Najafov said.


/Trend/