In the first quarter of 2007, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan will discuss the construction of the Caspian Underwater Segment of the Optical Cable Main вЂ" Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE), Trend reports with reference to the Azerbaijan Telecommunication and Information Technology Ministry.
The meeting will focus on the realization of the work within the protocol signed between the Azerbaijan Telecommunication and IT Ministry and the Agency for Informatization of the Republic of Kazakhstan at the end of last year.
We plan to discuss the beginning of the construction work and other concrete questions, the same sources said.
The project of realization of Caspian Underwater Segment (TAE) (Baku-Aktau) was on the agenda of the Azerbaijan and Kazakh sides not for the first time, and began in 1999. Due to the absence of the agreements, the construction was not carried out. According to the information obtained from Azerbaijan Telecommunication and Information Technology Ministry, Azerbaijan was always the initiator in this issue, and irrespective of considerable official meetings with the Kazakh side, it was impossible to achieve certain results.
The first stage of the negotiations between the State Agencies of the two countries on TAE was held in February, 2006. The Kazakhstan party said that it is ready to take obligations on the partial financing to lay the cable. For its part, Azerbaijan claimed that it has the possibility to finance 50% of the project cost.
Specialists say that comparing with the preceding period, Kazakhstan showed interest in the project. It was particularly felt during the recent meetings. That might be stipulated for the appearance of several new operators at Kazakhstan telecommunication market. Along with KazakhTelecom, another company KazTransCom showed interest in the project. The latter has enough work experience in Kazakhstan telecommunication market.
During the meeting with representatives of KazTransCom, it was said that the Company was ready to provide more than 50% of all the expenses. The Azerbaijan party has nothing against the cooperation and work with this Company in case if the both parties - The Azerbaijan Telecommunication and IT Ministry and the Agency for Informatization of the Republic of Kazakhstan come to a common agreement.
To date, construction works of all segments of Fiber-Optic cable TAE from Shanghai to Frankfurt except the Caspian underwater section has been complete, that is why the information exchange via TAE Cable is possible only via the territories of Russia and Iran. In case the project starts, Azerbaijan will become the key transit country in the region. The Project will allow Middle Asian countries to directly link with Turkey. At the same time Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia, and other countries will obtain a possibility to establish a better connection with China.