Sahiba Gafarova: Areas such as science, technology and innovation maintain a central place also in my country Azerbaijan’s development agenda

Sahiba Gafarova: Areas such as science, technology and innovation maintain a central place also in my country Azerbaijan’s development agenda Sahiba Gafarova: Areas such as science, technology and innovation maintain a central place also in my country Azerbaijan’s development agenda https://innews.media/en/news/id-37169

"Science, technology and innovation maintain a central place also in my country Azerbaijan’s development agenda." Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova said this at the 149th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Geneva, Swiss Confederation, with its topicality being Harnessing Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) for a More Peaceful and Sustainable Future’. It was said that the Sustainable Development Goals and relevant tasks had already been incorporated into national development plans and strategies. Modern innovations and competitive human capital are one of the five priority areas of the new socio-economic development strategy until 2030.

The Speaker said also that a digitally-focused society that supports cutting edge technology industries and innovation, increasing the technological capacities of the economy are envisaged as the driving force for development. Besides, STI are important driving force for Azerbaijan’s activities in developing its renewable energy potential and establishing green energy zones in the liberated Garabagh and Eastern Zangazur regions.

According to Sahiba Gafarova, in view of the global challenges countries have moral obligation to facilitate each other’s development aspirations. Since 2020, Azerbaijan has provided humanitarian, economic, and technical assistance worth 330 million US Dollars to over 140 nations.

In the framework of the Summit of the NAM Contact Group on fight against COVID-19 held in Azerbaijan in March 2023, His Excellency, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, declared two Global Calls to support the post-pandemic recovery of Africa and Small Island Developing States. The Calls envisage direct financial support, enhancing education opportunities, capacity-building and other technical tools.