By Peter Tase
On December 2-5, 2014, Azerbaijan will be hosting the International Telecommunications and Information Technologies Conference and Exhibition in Baku. The BakuTel 2014 Conference is the largest regional event in telecommunication and information technologies in the Caspian region, and this year will celebrate its 20th anniversary. BakuTel 2013 was attended by 300 companies from 27 countries. This event has in the past been attended by President Ilham Aliyev, and this year he is expected to deliver the opening remarks of this conference which will bring together 300 companies from 28 countries.
In his greetings to BakuTel 2013 organizers, President Ilham Aliyev stated: “The International Bakutel Exhibition and Conference, held every year in Azerbaijan, creates favourable opportunities for the organizations representing various countries, scientists and experts to come together and share their ideas, expand business contacts, and become familiar with advanced technological achievements and innovations.” [1]
This event will contribute towards further strengthening the regional cooperation in the areas of telecommunications, science and research. In December 2014 are expected to participate leading ICT companies, Azerbaijani mobile operators, telecommunications corporations, Internet service providers, system integration companies. Forty per cent of the exhibitors are regular participants who come to Baku every year. Last year, BakuTel was attended by experts from Afghanistan, the United States, Hungary, Italy and Israel; among the VIP guests were Dr Hamadoun I. Touré, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union, and Mrs. Zsuzsanna Nemeth, an economist and Hungary’s Minister of National Development. This year are expected to participate a higher number of ministers from the governments of regional countries as well as scholars and world renowned leaders in the areas of Telecommunication and Information Technology.
In March 18, 2014, Ali Abbasov, the Minister of Telecommunication and High Technologies paid a working visit to Argentina. Minister Abbasov met with his counterparts in the Argentinian Government; wht the Minister of Federal Planning, Public Investment and Services of Argentina. During this visit, his Argentinian colleagues expressed a great interest to attend the upcoming BakuTel 2014 Conference and introduce new advancements in the satellite industry, nuclear technology and present the potential of Argentinian Telecommunication Industry to invest in Azerbaijan.
The two governments reached an agreement to organize the first Azerbaijan-Argentina Telecommunications and High Technologies Forum under the umbrella of BakuTel 2014 Conference, in December 2 to 5, 2014. During his visit to Buenos Aires, Minister Abbasov signed a framework agreement together with his Argentinian counterparts to further explore bilateral cooperation on the use of outer space vehicles and satelites for peaceful purposes between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Argentina.
Minister Ali Abbasov had also a meeting with the Executive Director of INVAP, Argentina’s leading Cutting Edge Technology company, which presented its interest and potential projects that could be implemented in Azerbaijan.
According to a Ministry of Communications press release in Azerbaijan, Minister Ali Abbasov had also a meeting with the President of the National Atomic Energy Commission of Argentina (CONEA); who provided detailed information on the development of nuclear and atomic technologies for peaceful purposes. This meeting was held in the in the center of Argentinian Government-owned telecommunications corporation (ARSAT), in Buenos Aires and also the leaders of the company expressed their high interest to build greater cooperation ties with Azercosmos OJSC and exchange products on satellite technology based on reciprocity practices. [2]
Minster Ali Abbasov, accompanied by Amb. Mammad Ahmadzadeh in Argentina, held another bilateral meeting with Minister Lino Barañao, Ph.D., Argentinian Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation. Minister Barañao has visited Baku in 2013, and has been impressed with the great progress made by Azerbaijan in the areas of Technology Innovation, Telecommunications and Research. He was very interested to establish high levels of cooperation with the government of President Aliyev in the areas of manufacturing and knowledge based products. [3]
Mr. Barañao, suggested that since the two countries pay a special importance to innovative technologies, it would be very beneficial to launch bilateral high technology projects in the future. In the upcoming BakuTel 2014, Argentina and Azerbaijan are expected to forge their bilateral ties in the areas of technological innovation and telecommunication; additionally large companies from Buenos Aires are expected to have a large participation in the upcoming major Telecommunication Conference of Baku.
Resources:
[1] http://www.bakutel.az/2014/?p=news__readt=topq=91l=en
[2] http://www.mincom.gov.az/media-en/news-2/details/4857
About the author: Peter Tase
Peter Tase is a contributor, freelance journalist and a research scholar of Paraguayan Studies and Latin American Affairs in the United States; he is the founder of Paraguay Economic Forum in Milwaukee, United States. Educated at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee and Marquette University, Tase is the author of "Simultaneous Dictionary in Five Languages: Guarani, English, Italian, Albanian and Spanish" and "El Dr. FEDERICO FRANCO y Su Mandato Presidencial en la Historia del Paraguay."
Tase has written many articles on Paraguay's current Foreign Policy, Latin American Affairs and MERCOSUR regional trade issues for Eurasia Review and the Council on Hemispheric Affairs in Washington, D.C.. Peter has appeared on SNT Cerro Cora, Asuncion and appeared in “Tribuna Pública” in TV Publica Paraguay, as well as given interviews for Diario 5 Dias in Paraguay, ABC Color, Ultima Hora, IP Paraguay, Revista PLUS+, Radio Ñandutí, Radio Nacional del Paraguay, www.datamyne.com and Spero News.
Tase completed a Congressional Internship in the Office of Congressman Richard Pombo (CA-11), U.S. House of Representatives, and studied U.S. Government and International Affairs at the Les Aspin Center for Government in Washington, D.C.. In 2012 he was an adviser of Foreign Affairs and International trade Issues to the Chairman of the Committee on Trade, Tourism and Industry in the National Congress of Paraguay. Peter Tase is fluent in Guarani, Italian, Spanish, Albanian and mainly writes in English and Spanish.
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