Deputy PM: Azerbaijan's economy drastically changed in recent years

By Azernews

By Kamila Aliyeva

Baku hosted a panel discussion on “The role of science and research in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in Azerbaijan” on March 16.  

Deputy Prime Minister, Deputy Chairman and Executive Secretary of New Azerbaijan Party Ali Ahmadov, addressing the event, said that Azerbaijan's economy has changed drastically in recent years.

Hailing the economic achievements of the past years, he noted that these economic changes have affected the living conditions of citizens.

"One of the tasks that we are facing is to further develop our economy, as well as to contribute to the development of the international community by joining to its efforts," the deputy prime minister said.

He added that hunger is one of the most important issues that concern the world today.

"In some countries, people struggle for food and rely on humanitarian assistance - the supply of food from other states,” he said adding that the number of people living on $1-1.5 per day in the world is more than enough.

“In many countries of the world, the average life expectancy is 50 years, while in developed countries the average life expectancy has exceeded 80 years and all these are issues of concern to humanity,” he stressed.

Ahmadov voiced regret over the fact half of the world's wealth is in the hands of one percent of the population.

UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan Ghulam Isakzai, in turn, said that the contribution of science to the development of society is highly valued.

"Using science, we must achieve global goals," Isakzai said stressing that “science is very important from the point of view of poverty elimination.”

He noted that in the modern world, science is the foundation of any development and progress. It plays an important role in ensuring sustainable development in Azerbaijan, according to Isakzai.

Sustainable Development Goals were adopted by UN member on September 25-27, 2015. In total, 17 goals and 169 targets have been determined to be implemented in the period from 2016 to 2030.

To achieve the goals of sustainable development the National Coordination Council was established by a presidential decree on October 2016. Azerbaijan is the only country that created the National Coordinating Council for Sustainable Development, and this was highly assessed by the organization.

The council’s goal is to bring state programs and strategies covering the socio-economic sphere into line with the objectives of sustainable development.