Baku to host conference of Int'l Association of Ports, Harbors
Baku will host the annual conference of the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH), which has more than 300 members from 88 countries, the Baku International Sea Trade Port CJSC reported on May 17.
A delegation from the Baku International Sea Trade Port participated at the annual conference of the IAPH that was held in Panama on May 10-13. Baku Port has been a full member of the IAPH since 2010.
During the conference, IAPH Secretary General Susumu Naruse said that the Association was a wonderful forum for ports around the world to collaborate and share their experiences.
"We are happy to have chosen Baku as host city for the 2018 mid-term conference and look forward to visiting Azerbaijan and seeing at firsthand the developments in and around the new Port of Baku," added Naruse.
IAPH President Santiago Garcia Mila, in his turn, pointed to the significance of the decision to hold the IAPH conference for the first time ever in Azerbaijan and in a region of the world that has undergone such rapid economic growth.
"I trust that delegates from across the world will also eagerly anticipate a visit to Port of Baku in 2018 and seeing for themselves its role as the transit and logistics hub for Eurasia," said Mila.
Director General of Baku port Taleh Ziyadov highlighted the importance of the Association's selection of Baku.
"Hosting the IAPH annual mid-term conference in 2018 will be a major opportunity to promote our country and its development," said Ziyadov. "We hope to welcome over 500 delegates from ports around the world to visit the country's capital in 2018."
Participants will become acquainted with the new Baku port and Free Trade Zone (FTZ) that is being developed around it and also learn about Azerbaijan's history and culture, added Ziyadov.
The International Association of Ports and Harbors was established in 1955 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Its annual conferences feature discussions on important issues that include: port stability and security, the development of new port facilities, the impact of environmental change, information technologies and port operations. The 2015 annual conference was held in Hamburg, and Bali (Indonesia) is the venue for 2017.
President Aliyev signed a decree on March 17 on measures to establish a special economic area in the Alat settlement, which will also include the territory of the new Baku International Sea Trade Port.
The decree has been signed for ensuring sustainable economic development, increasing the competitiveness and creating a multi-vector transport infrastructure in Azerbaijan.
Once established, the Free Trade Zone (FTZ) will bring huge revenues to Azerbaijan's state budget. The profitability of FTZ has many examples in the world; FTZ in Hong Kong or in Dubai turned both cities into a center of attraction for investors from all around the world, and paved the way for inflow of huge funds to the countries.