Baku, Ankara mull personal data protection cooperation

By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Baku has hosted a meeting of the working subgroup on cooperation in the field of personal data protection of the Azerbaijani-Turkish working group on digital transformation.

During the meeting, presentations were made on personal data protection and harmonization of national legislations of the two countries in this area.

Speaking at the meeting, Electronic Security Service Head Shahin Aliyev briefed on the basic principles of the legislation of Azerbaijan on personal data protection, legal reforms in this area, as well as projects that plan to be implemented in this direction.

He emphasized that the work to be done between the two countries in the field of personal data protection will contribute to the development of existing ties.

Azerbaijan was represented at the meeting by a delegation led by Digital Development and Transport Ministry’s electronic security service head Shahin Aliyev. From Turkey, the meeting was attended by Personal Data Protection Authority President Faruk Bilir and representatives of the Turkish Digital Transportation Office.

It should be noted that the agreement to establish the Azerbaijani-Turkish working group on digital transformation was reached during a meeting held on February 18, 2021, in Ankara between Digital Development and Transport Minister Rashad Nabiyev and President of the Digital Transformation Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey Ali Taha Koch.    

Azerbaijan and Turkey collaborate in a variety of economic fields and have completed major energy and infrastructure projects such as Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Kars, and TANAP.

Turkey imports Azerbaijani natural gas through the South Caucasus Gas Pipeline (Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum) and TANAP.  Azerbaijan supplies gas to Turkey only from the Shah Deniz field. The supplies have been made since July 2007.

In 2021, Azerbaijan and Turkey signed the Shusha Declaration on Allied Relations, which focuses on defence cooperation, promoting regional stability and prosperity, and establishing new transportation routes.

The two countries set up a goal to bring the mutual trade turnover to $15 billion in 2023. As of 2021, the trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $4.6 billion. It should be noted that so far, Turkey is Azerbaijan’s second-largest investor followed by the UK.

Additionally, Turkey was one of the first countries that expressed its interest and readiness to participate in the restoration of Azerbaijan’s liberated territories.