The involvement of member countries of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in the implementation of the Digital Silk Way project, which envisages creation of a digital corridor connecting Europe and Asia via Azerbaijan, was discussed at the 5th meeting of the OTS Working Group on ICT in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on October 25.
Fuad Allahverdiyev, Chairman of the Board of Directors of AzerTelecom, and Sergey Nazarenko, Chief Operations Officer, participated in the event titled “Development of Digital Infrastructure” and presented the Digital Silk Way project, implemented by AzerTelecom. Company representatives noted that there is great interest in the project in the region, and spoke about the participation of the member countries of the Organization of Turkic States in its implementation.
“This large-scale project which passes through the territory of a number of Turkic states will make a significant contribution to meeting the demand for internet traffic in Central Asian countries. The project will open up new opportunities in the global digital transformation processes in such regions as Anatolia, South Caucasus, and Central Asia. Amid rapid changes and increase in data consumption in the world, the involvement of the Organization of Turkic States member countries in this large-scale project will contribute to wider cooperation in the field of digital infrastructure building and the development of the telecommunications industry in the region,” said Fuad Allahverdiyev.
“Digital Silk Way” which will meet the transit needs between Europe and Asia via Azerbaijan is considered a strategically important project for all countries of the region. The project was selected as one of the five best strategic infrastructure projects in Asia at the Global Strategic Infrastructure Leadership Forum in the United States.
AzerTelecom, part of NEQSOL Holding, is Azerbaijan’s leading wholesale telecommunications operator connecting Azerbaijan with the global Internet network.
The Organization of Turkic States was established in accordance with the Nakhchivan Agreement signed on October 3, 2009 by the heads of state of the Turkic-speaking countries at a summit held in Nakhchivan. Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan are the member countries of the organization, while Hungary and Turkmenistan are observer members.