Baku, Azerbaijan, April 25
By Huseyn Valiyev - Trend:
A significant breakthrough in the negotiations with Kazakhstan on the issue of laying the Caspian segment of a fiber-optic cable line has not been reached.
The negotiations conducted with Kazakhstan since 1999 to this day in this regard have not yielded positive results, and the progress is not expected yet, a source in the Azerbaijani telecommunication market told Trend.
"The Caspian segment of the cable line has been a "stumbling block" in the TAE (Trans-Asia-Europe) project, left as it is in the Trans-Eurasian Information Super Highway (TASIM) project. Azerbaijan stands out for early implementation of the project and, therefore, it depends directly on the Kazakh side," the source said.
In turn, the Kazakh side reported an increase in attention paid to the TASIM project and the efforts that it will contribute to the acceleration of the project implementation.
Earlier, the Executive Director on Infrastructural Projects of KazTransCom JSC (TASIM project`s participant from the Kazakh side) Alexandr Kislitsyn told Trend that head of the presidential administration took the project under personal control, and and practically all the aspects of relations between the two countries in this area have already been negotiated.
The main objective is to finance the construction of the underwater segment. Earlier, Azerbaijan made an initiative to finance the construction of the underwater segment which corresponded to Kazakhstan's interest.
The source noted the construction of the Trans-Caspian segment of TASIM may take three months. Prior to starting the construction, another three months will be required for preparing the tender documentations.The maximum time to complete works on the Trans-Caspian segment of TASIM may take around eight months. Kazakhstan prepared technical specification for the announcement of tender on the project.
Trans-Caspian project in 2006-2007 was estimated by the consulting companies in the amount of approximately $ 20 million. It is expected that this figure could rise by about 20-30 per cent, due to higher prices from contractors.
The TASIM project which is supported by the UN is the center of attention of the special group of this organization. The project include such countries as Russia (operator Rostelecom), Kazakhstan (Kaztranscom), Turkey (TurkTelecom), China (ChinaTelecom)
Azerbaijan is represented in the project by the Center for International Relations and Calculations under the Ministry of Communications and High Technologies.
The project aims to reduce poverty, accelerate economic growth, and play the role of locomotive for the development of the region. The TASIM project intends to connect a total of 20 countries. Its implementation will eliminate the "information gap" between the countries of Western Europe and the Pacific region.
Translated by S.I.
Edited by C.N.