President Ilham Aliyev Chairs Strategic Session on AI, Data Centers and Digital Reform
Baku, The Gulf Observer: On February 11, a high-level meeting dedicated to the unified action plan on “Azerbaijan’s New Digital Architecture” was held under the chairmanship of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev. Addressing senior government officials and stakeholders, the head of state underscored that digital development, artificial intelligence, and the creation of data centers would play a decisive role in shaping the country’s future trajectory.
President Ilham Aliyev emphasized that global trends clearly demonstrate how digitalization, AI integration, and modern data infrastructure determine the competitiveness and sustainable growth of nations. He noted that while Azerbaijan has already undertaken significant steps in this direction, digital transformation must now be elevated to a top national priority. Drawing on Azerbaijan’s extensive experience in oil and gas, large-scale infrastructure, and international connectivity projects, the President highlighted the country’s proven capacity to implement complex initiatives in partnership with global stakeholders.
The President further stressed that Azerbaijan’s strategic geographical position between Asia and Europe, along the North-South corridor, combined with its robust transport and energy infrastructure, provides a solid foundation for transforming existing corridors into fiber-optic connectivity routes. He pointed to the ongoing fiber-optic cable project linking Azerbaijan with the eastern shores of the Caspian Sea, expected to be completed this year, and called for expanded connectivity toward the West.
Highlighting the country’s strong investment climate, President Ilham Aliyev noted that over $350 billion has been invested in Azerbaijan’s economy over the past two decades, with legal and practical guarantees for foreign and domestic investors. He underlined that this experience should now be extended to partnerships with leading global technology companies. The President also referenced Azerbaijan’s growing energy capacity—currently at 10,000 megawatts, with approximately 2,000 megawatts of unused capacity—as a strategic advantage for powering data centers and AI-driven infrastructure, alongside expanding renewable energy initiatives.
The meeting also addressed Azerbaijan’s expanding international partnerships, including strategic cooperation with the United States, several European Union member states, and the People’s Republic of China, positioning the country among a limited number of nations maintaining strategic partnerships with major global powers. President Ilham Aliyev described these relationships as significant assets that must be effectively leveraged in advancing digital transformation.
Calling for centralized coordination, the President directed the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport to prepare a comprehensive action plan in close collaboration with all state agencies. He emphasized the need for each ministry to designate a senior official responsible for digitalization, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity. He also instructed that public services be consolidated under the “mygov” platform to ensure unified, efficient, and citizen-centered service delivery.
In addition, President Ilham Aliyev underscored the importance of workforce development, curriculum modernization, and enhanced training in digital technologies at both secondary and higher education levels. He stressed the widespread application of artificial intelligence across government institutions and encouraged the development of support mechanisms for the private sector to adopt similar approaches. The President also highlighted cybersecurity as a critical priority, referencing a major cyberattack last year and calling for strengthened protective measures through the Cybersecurity Center.
Concluding his remarks, President Ilham Aliyev reaffirmed that digital transformation is a strategic national priority and instructed that a detailed action plan be finalized and submitted promptly. The floor was then given to Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rashad Nabiyev for a presentation outlining the next steps in implementing Azerbaijan’s New Digital Architecture initiative.
