Azerbaijan, Belarus boosting coop in innovations
By Sabina Idayatova
Belarus and Azerbaijan have discussed prospects for the development
of innovations, BELTA news agency reported on September 22.
Related issues were considered at the second meeting of the working group for the implementation of joint innovation projects, which took place in the Azerbaijani capital Baku, Belarusian Embassy in Azerbaijan said.
The event was held at the Presidium of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences and dedicated to the Belarusian-Azerbaijani cooperation and production of new goods using co-established capacities. In particular, joint research and innovation projects were discussed at the meeting by Azerbaijani and Belarusian scientists and experts on various industries. A special emphasis was placed on joint production of innovative products.
Scientific and technical cooperation is one of the promising areas of bilateral cooperation. The first meeting of the working group was held in Minsk in August 2012. In 2012, the academies of sciences of Belarus and Azerbaijan successfully completed 22 joint scientific and technical works. Moreover, the results of studies have been applied in the economy.
Also, a cooperation agreement has been signed between the Science Development Foundation under the President of Azerbaijan, and the Republican Foundation for Fundamental Research and the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) of Belarus. Under the agreement, the first joint competition of research projects was announced in January this year. In fact, a competitive system of the promotion of scientific ideas from the development phase to implementation in the real sectors of the economy has been created.
Under the agreement between the Belarusian NAS and the National Aviation Academy of Azerbaijan, the Center of LED and Optoelectronic Technologies of the NAS implemented two projects on the production of energy-efficient LED lights jointly with the aviation academy last year.
There are also prospects for cooperation between the two countries in the field of space technology, given that Azerbaijan launched its first telecommunication satellite, Azerspace, in February this year. Half a year earlier, in July 2012, Belarus gained access to the club of space powers.
Azerbaijan and Belarus established diplomatic relations in 1993. In 2012, the trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $223.3 million.
There is vast potential for the development of investment cooperation and for Azerbaijan's involvement in the projects implemented in Belarus. Belarus is interested in increasing the capacity of Belarusian assembly plants operating in Azerbaijan, as well as implementation of new projects in the construction sector, education, medicine, science, and culture.