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Minister: Azerbaijan, Lithuania should strengthen co-op on use of social data (Exclusive)

Business Materials 18 October 2019 08:54 (UTC +04:00)
Azerbaijan and Lithuania should strengthen cooperation on use of social data
Minister: Azerbaijan, Lithuania should strengthen co-op on use of social data (Exclusive)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct.18

By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:

Azerbaijan and Lithuania should strengthen cooperation on use of social data, Minister of Social Security and Labor of Lithuania Linas Kukuraitis said in an exclusive interview with Trend.

Kukuraitis, who recently visited Baku, noted that during a meeting with Azerbaijan’s Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Population Sahil Babayev, the sides pointed out the importance of strengthening cooperation and exchange of experience in using social data in different registers.

He pointed out that social data is needed for forming a fact-based policy.

"For example, if we want to make a decision in the sphere of employment, children rights protection, we usually make investment in a certain field. Social data helps to find out how the investments made in a certain sphere help to achieve the tasks set," the minister explained.

Another sphere of partnership between Azerbaijan and Lithuania could be children rights protection, according to Kukuraitis.

"Lithuania has just carried out reforms in this sphere. We could have exchanges and share experience in this sphere. Work is never complete in social sphere. The society is changing and we must change our policies. We must always cooperate in the sphere of employment, since there will always be difficulties with employment of disabled people. We have started reforms in Lithuania in this field. I think it is important for Azerbaijan as well," noted the Lithuanian minister.

Further, talking about the newly signed cooperation agreement between the labor ministries of Azerbaijan and Lithuania on social security and labor, he pointed out that it is a good platform for initiatives to start.

"I would like to say that we have had quite good partnership till the signing of this agreement as well. In general, we had exchanges of our experts, specialists. We had exchanges of ideas and knowledge on how to carry out reforms in the social sphere. It is also reflected in common twinning projects. Lithuania is taking part in nine twinning projects in Azerbaijan. We took part in the conference on the occasion of completion of one twinning project, which is related to the development of Azerbaijan’s state employment service. The signing of this agreement will even more strengthen our cooperation. It will also be a platform for all the future exchanges," said Kukuraitis.

Talking about the details of the agreement, the minister said that it envisages concrete fixed spheres of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Lithuania in the future, including organizational issues.

"That is a good platform for initiatives to start," he said.

Moreover, he hailed the effectiveness of the Center for Sustainable and Operational Social Security (DOST Center) in Azerbaijan.

"We visited DOST Center, uniting several institutions into one, which is very impressive. You have found a solution how to integrate different institutions and to make it confortable for people. This is an idea we can bring home," added Kukuraitis.

Lithuanian delegation headed by Kukuraitis took part in the conference dedicated to the completion of the EU Twinning project funded by the EU in support of the state employment service in Azerbaijan on Oct.04.

A Cooperation Agreement was signed on Oct.3 in Baku between the Azerbaijani Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population and Lithuanian Ministry of Social Security and Labor as part of the meeting between Azerbaijani Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population Sahil Babayev and head of the Lithuanian delegation, Lithuanian Minister of Social Security and Labor Linas Kukuraitis.

The Agreement envisages further cooperation in the field of social security and labor between the two countries.

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