Azerbaijan, Baku, June 9 / Trend, K. Zarbaliyeva /
The Swedish Trub company will manufacture biometric passports for Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani State Population Register Service Deputy Chief Mehdi Najafov told Trend.
Most countries have started using, or plan to use, biometric passports to more effectively combat transnational crime, illegal arms trafficking and drug smuggling.
According to Najafov, the passports will include information about the passport holder's facial features, as well as his finger and palm prints. Each passport will also include a personal identification number.
"After 2012, Azerbaijani citizens will not be able to travel to Europe and the United States with old passports," Najafov said. "The program covers the development of the appropriate legislative framework and information systems to ensure information security."