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Azerbaijani minister: Development of international cooperation is one of Emergency Situations Ministry’s highest priorities

Politics Materials 9 May 2012 14:12 (UTC +04:00)

Azerbaijan, Baku, May 9 / Trend, E.Mehdiyev /

Since the Ministry of Emergency Situations was founded, the development of international cooperation has been one of its highest priorities. Therefore, over the last few years we have developed cooperative ties with relevant bodies in the US, Russia, France, Belarus, Ukraine, Turkey, Korea, Bulgaria, Romania, the UK, Israel, Kazakhstan, Germany, Qatar, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Georgia, Azerbaijani Emergency Situations Minister Kamaladdin Heydarov said in an interview with The Business Year magazine.

"The Ministry has also achieved sustainable relations with the UN, OSCE, the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development (GUAM), the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) organization, the International Civil Defense Organization (ICDO), the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), as well as with other international and regional organizations. In addition, the Ministry's rescue workers have participated in the training sessions of many international organizations in the past few years, such as NATO," Heydarov said.

He said the Ministry's high-priority duties include the completion of the structural formation of the Ministry, the improvement of its regional centers' activity, the development of quality content and services in all of organizations included in the Ministry, the refinement of its legal framework, and the enhancement of international cooperation

When asked how the Ministry has worked to strengthen riverbanks and improve the natural disaster response system since the floods that affected Azerbaijan in the spring and summer of 2010, Heydarov answered that thousands of workers, helicopters and rescue boats, and a large quantity of equipment were used in the Ministry's active rescue operation during the heavy rainfall and flooding in 2010.

"The level of groundwater rapidly rose in coastal areas, and the Kura and Aras rivers overflowed their banks. We brought this natural disaster under control, thanks to our constant awareness of the events and the urgent measures taken. Most importantly, we were able to prevent the loss of human life. The people evacuated from the disaster area were relocated to temporary shelters and camps, and the necessary infrastructure was established for the convenience of the temporary settled population. We were able to meet all their needs, especially in terms of health and safety, through the medical offices we set up in the camps. We investigated the causes of the flood, and we have undertaken reconstruction projects by strengthening damaged dams and repairing more than 300 kilometers of the Kura River system," Heydarov added.

He said the volume of the Kura and Araz rivers was determined by models and the water consumption of both rivers was calculated.

"Taking into account these calculations and as a result of the temporary working regime of the Mingachevir water reservoir, we were able to avoid the floods in 2011 despite the same volume of water flowing compared to 2010. Under the Ministry, we established the State Agency for Water Resources to improve the management of water resources in the country," Heydarov underscored.

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