Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 6 / Trend H.Valiyev/
A memorandum on the formation of a consortium to design the East-West super information highway will be signed in 2011, Azerbaijani Communications and IT Minister Ali Abbasov said.
After receiving the approval of the U.N., the East-West project was supported by regional countries. The talks are underway with the parties implementing the project.
"Major regional operators like China Telecom, Turk Telecom, Rostelecom and Kazakhtelecom, as well as Azerbaijani operators, are interested in this project," he said. "We believe a consortium will be created with their participation."
Abbasov said earlier that a consortium will launch the commercial project.
A resolution submitted by Azerbaijan to create an information superhighway was adopted by the U.N. during its sixty-sixth plenary meeting.
The organization expressed support for the project, which aims to reduce poverty and increase economic growth. The project will serve as an engine for regional development.
East-West is intended to connect a total of 20 countries. The project will eliminate the information gap existing between countries in Western European and the Pacific basin.