The opening ceremony of the International Conference on Problems of Logistics, Management and Operation in the East-West Transport Corridor was held

28.10.2021 / Conferences, assemblies

The opening ceremony of the International Conference on Problems of Logistics, Management and Operation in the East-West Transport Corridor was held on 27 October 2021. The conference was organized jointly by the Institute of Control Systems (ICS) of ANAS, the Azerbaijan Technical University, the Silesian University of Technology (Poland) and the Georgian Technical University. Held in a hybrid format, the international conference was attended by scientists and specialists from Azerbaijan and a number of foreign countries, including Poland, Germany, Russia, USA, Ukraine, Romania, Lithuania, Georgia, Bulgaria, Belarus, Kazakhstan, etc.

Opening the conference, ICS General Director, Academician Ali Abbasov greeted the participants and told them about the conference agenda. Speaking about the practical significance of the conference, A. Abbasov pointed out that the East-West transport corridor is an integral part of the former Silk Road and an initiative requiring the development of new mechanisms for regional economic cooperation. This corridor promotes economic development, cultural exchange and communication between member countries. It is in the Republic of Azerbaijan, as one of the central countries of the transport corridor, that great success has been achieved and various projects have been implemented at the state level. The academician noted that the launch of the One Belt One Road initiative and the organization of the East-West transport corridor contributed to economic and geographical development and, at the same time, to the emergence of a new corridor - digital communication links.

Ali Abbasov said that as the number of transport corridors increases, certain problems arise that need to be solved from a scientific point of view. He noted that the main goal of the conference is to find solutions to problems in the field of logistics, operation and management in transport corridors.

Abbasov reminded the audience that after the liberation of the occupied territories during the 44-day war last year, President Ilham Aliyev emphasized the creation of a new corridor in the region, the Zangezur corridor, and invited neighboring countries to be involved in the development of this corridor.

He was followed by Deputy Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rahman Hummatov, who thanked the organizers of the conference for planning the conference at a high level and pointed out that Azerbaijan is located at the intersection of East-West and North-South transport corridors and that the development of transit potential using this favorable location is one of the main priorities of the transport policy of the region.

Speaking about the transport infrastructure, R. Hummatov informed the participants about the projects being implemented by Azerbaijan. He expressed confidence that the goals of the projects would be achieved in the coming years, gave statistics on the use of the potential of the East-West corridor, spoke about cooperation with other countries, non-physical barriers, existing tariffs, competition, and said that he believed that the Conference will contribute to solving these problems.

Hummatov said that in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the Republic of Azerbaijan proposed to its partners in the corridor to create a joint logistics company. Noting the nuances that will positively affect the elimination of existing shortcomings, he said that if such acompany is created, operations will be managed and the corresponding problems will be resolved.

In conclusion, R. Hummatov said that with the resolution of the Karabakh conflict, restoration work is being carried out in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan, the restoration of transport and economy stimulates development in the region, paves the way for the expansion of the East-West corridor.

Then Vice President of ANAS Academician Rasim Aliguliyev greeted the participants on behalf of the leadership of the Academy and wished the conference success in its work. He said that the processes taking place in the world today, the new realities arising in our country, require an academic approach to transport problems. He praised the involvement of scientists in solving these problems by the relevant resolution of the Presidium of ANAS and the activities of various institutions, including ICS, cooperation with higher educational institutions.

The academician also spoke about the building of a modern transport infrastructure, the work done in this area in the country, projects for the reconstruction of Karabakh and stressed the importance of the conference in this regard.

Then Sadig Gurbanov, Chair of the Committee for Natural Resources, Energy and Ecology of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan, expressed confidence that the conference would contribute to the future development of the East-West corridor in Azerbaijan. S. Gurbanov touched upon the main advantages and environmental aspects of the East-West transport corridor. He pointed out that given the potential of the 4th industrial revolution, the application of digital technologies and the digital economy can be widely used to address these problems as a contribution to the global ecology as a whole.

At the end of his speech, S. Gurbanov spoke about the importance of restoration work in the liberated territories and the possibilities for further development. He stressed that the further expansion of the East-West corridor and its further development would have a positive impact on solving global climate problems.

Then Prof. Vilayat Veliyev, rector of the Azerbaijan Technical University, took the floor, once again drawing attention to the topics raised by the conference participants. Speaking about the opening of Fizuli International Airport on 26 October 2021, he touched upon the importance of the new environment created in the field of transport and logistics in the region after the Karabakh victory.

Veliyev also informed the participants about the work done in this area at the Azerbaijan Technical University, the activities of the Faculty of Transport and Logistics, research programs and cooperation with various government agencies.

Then Aleksander Sładkowski, professor at the Silesian University of Technology, spoke. He noted that the scientific problems raised by the speakers concern not only Azerbaijan, but all countries of the world. In particular, he noted that the difficult situation caused by the current coronavirus pandemic had had an adverse impact on the global economy: in the past two years, there have been serious problems, especially in the transport sector, transportation and delivery of goods.

Then Abzetdin Adamov, professor at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (USA), joined the conference online. In his speech, he noted that the development of aerospace technology is one of the main areas of the institute. He gave detailed information about the work done in the field of technology in his organization, about the tasks we face in the post-pandemic period, about cooperation. He stressed the importance of technology in our time, especially during a pandemic, noting that it is one of the main means of communication.

The conference continued with a plenary session.