Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec.22 / Trend H. Veliyev /
Georgia initiated the creation of a fiber-optic main in the direction of the Ukraine, Isfandiyar Aliyev, the director of the Department of Scientific Potential and Strategic Planning of the Azerbaijani Communications and Information Technologies Ministry, said.
The issue was on the table at the third meeting of the working group in the sphere of information technology of the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development (GUAM), held Dec.16-17 in Kiev.
According to Aliyev, the meeting agreed to explore the possibilities of the implementation of this project, which could link the telecommunications infrastructure of the two countries. In this way it would also be an important alternative option of access to the World network.
"Given the existing agreement between Azerbaijan and Georgia in cooperating on the implementation of the project for the creation of the transnational information "East-West" superhighway, the laying of a fiber-optic cable line between Georgia and the Ukraine could in future become part of the transnational highway. It is envisaged that the next meeting of the working group, scheduled for the first half of 2011, will outline the contours on laying main fiber-optic cable line "Georgia-Ukraine", Aliyev said.
The working group also agreed to create a singular information space between the GUAM member-countries, as well as mutual support to ICT conferences, cooperation in the sphere of distance learning, staff training, etc.
The UN 66th plenary meeting adopted the resolution submitted by Azerbaijan to create the "East-West" information superhighway. The organization expressed support for the project, which would also lead to the reduction of poverty and an increase economic growth. This project will play the role of a locomotive in the development of the region
The "East-West" project is intended to connect a total of 20 countries. The project hopes to eliminate the "information gap" between the countries within the Western European and Pacific basins.