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TBY talks to Elmar Rustam oglu Valiyev, Mayor of Ganja, on being selected as the European Youth Capital for 2016, tourism, and the developing of a technology park.
BIOGRAPHY
Elmar Rustam oglu Valiyev was born in 1960 and graduated from the Azerbaijan Technology University in 1986. He later went on to study law at Baku State University, graduating in 2001. From 1989 to 1994 he worked at the Central Trade Unions Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan, going on to serve at the State Customs Committee. From 2004 to 2011 he was the Head of the Yevlakh City Executive Authority of the Republic of Azerbaijan. In 2011 he became the Mayor of Ganja.Ganja has been selected as the European Youth Capital for 2016. How has this been achieved and what activities will be conducted in this regard?
On November 21, 2013, an authoritative international jury of the General Assembly of the European Youth Forum, the most prominent platform of youth organizations of the continent, passed the decision to declare the city of Ganja the European Youth Capital of 2016. Thus, during 2016, Ganja will be the focus of European youth. This will create opportunities to promote the history and culture of Azerbaijan, the traditions of multiculturalism and tolerance inherent in our society, and communicate the truth about Azerbaijan to the European public using the example of one city. At the moment, our city is preparing to host many international and local projects and activities. The Action Plan includes 43 projects (25 international and 18 local), and covers topics such as the elimination of unemployment among young people, the active participation of young people in society, volunteering, education, and social equality. The projects will mainly be carried out in the form of training, workshops, conferences, forums, exhibitions, and competitions. For the time being, the team of volunteers of the "Ganja-European Capital of Youth 2016" organization includes over 300 young people from all over the country. During the year, Ganja will host a number of activities of international and national significance: seminars and training courses on digital and social media, e-citizenry, first steps in volunteer activities, volunteering for the environment, youth camps for interreligious dialogue, and others. Job fairs for the youth and exhibitions of handwork items will be conducted as well. A variety of projects will be implemented, most of which will bring together young people from all over Europe. These include projects such as "Join the sport," "Ganja-a city dance," "European caravan to Azerbaijan through Georgia," "Thematic conventions on youth policies," "European voluntary service," "Social network for my city," "Activation of specialized school No. 45 of Ganja for disadvantaged children," "Women leaders," "A living library," "A culinary fair," "Model of secondary education for the youth of European capitals," "Models for studying human rights in secondary school," "Social entrepreneurship," the "European youth award," "Youth career bus career," and more. There will also be other projects of relevant ministries, the Youth Fund, as well as local and international youth organizations. In addition, the city will play host to the European Youth Festival, the International Festival of Youth Conventions and Relations, the European experience of volunteering in the Caucasus region, the "Story of volunteering," the First Ganja forum for young researchers, the International Conference of the Youth Research Fund, the Fine Art International Exhibition, an international marathon competition, the international “Europe and Ganja: a crossroads of cultures," festival, and more. I think that all of this will contribute to the further development of Ganja and raise the credibility of our country as a whole.
As the host of an international airport, how does Ganja work with different airlines for the development of tourism?
On the initiative of President Ilham Aliyev, a modern international airport was built in Ganja in 2006. It can receive aircraft of all makes and sizes, including multi-ton cargo planes. Using these opportunities, different foreign airlines operate regular and charter flights with a stopover in Ganja. This creates favorable conditions for the many tourists traveling to and through Ganja. This not only contributes to the development of tourism, but also enables the guests of Azerbaijan to get acquainted with our country in Ganja.
There are different companies operating in different spheres of life in Ganja. As we know from the state program on the development of districts, there are plans to set up a technology park in Ganja. How will that benefit the city?
Indeed, Ganja is one of the biggest industrial centers in Azerbaijan, where textiles, food, metallurgy, engineering, and other industries have developed for years. Over the last five years, industry has grown 3.3 fold. The gross domestic product of Ganja has doubled over this period. This is excellent performance. The state program on the development of districts envisages the establishment of a major technology park in Ganja. It will be set up with Det.Al Aluminum in mind and a future steel plant. The Executive Authority of the city has already allocated land for that. The commissioning of the technology park will lead to the creation of hundreds of jobs, which, in turn, will improve the wellbeing of thousands of households and fetch additional revenues for the city budget. There are also plans to resume the operation of one of the largest industrial centers of the city: the Alumina Company, which will offer 1,200-1,500 jobs to those living in and around Ganja.
How does Ganja benefit from the inaugural European Games held in Azerbaijan last year and the forthcoming European Grand Prix and other international events?
As evidenced by the First European Games held in Baku, numerous tourists and fans not only watched sporting events, but also traveled to Ganja to pay tribute to the great Nizami Ganjavi, who is known far beyond the borders of our country. At the beginning of this year, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, during a visit to our city, inaugurated Imamzade, a major religious and cultural complex that represents a valuable monument of the entire Muslim world. All this, as well as the 4,000-year history of Ganja proper and its numerous architectural, historical, and cultural monuments have always attracted, and I am sure will continue to attract, even more tourists attending various international events in Azerbaijan. I am sure that participants and fans of Formula One and other upcoming international conferences and festivals will also travel to our city. As a result, Ganja is getting closer to the world.
How does Ganja influence the development of the Azerbaijani regions?
First of all, I should note that Ganja is the center of the western region of the country, which is the biggest region in Azerbaijan. At the same time, it is one of the major industrial centers. The city is a concentration of enterprises producing aluminum and steel, automobiles, textiles, and food and employs not only the people of Ganja, but also residents of surrounding districts. In addition, Ganja is an educational and scientific center in the field of agriculture. This is where the Azerbaijan State Agrarian University is located. Its graduates now work in the Ministry of Agriculture, various research, agricultural, and technological institutes, as well as farms across Azerbaijan. Also, Ganja is a major medical and educational city in the western region: we have three universities, four colleges, and several regional specialized medical centers.
What are your objectives for 2016?
Today, we are implementing activities according to President Ilham Aliyev's strategy that "the development of the country depends on the development of entrepreneurship." It aims to improve the business environment in the country. As part of the state program on the socioeconomic development of Azerbaijani districts in 2014-2018, all conditions are being created in the city to develop private enterprise, create social and infrastructure facilities, and increase investment in business development. In 2016, the city will complete a number of projects. The religious complex Imamzade, the Park Bulvar center, a housing compound comprised of 14 high-rise buildings, a student campus of the Azerbaijan State Agrarian University, a major city hospital named after Abbas Sahhat, and other facilities have already been commissioned. This year we embarked on the construction of the Ganja State Philharmonic Hall, a seven-storey hotel called Majestic in the city center, and a shopping center covering a large area, and the reconstruction of the Caravanserai hotel complex built in the seventh century. Work is under way on the construction of schools, kindergartens, and other social facilities. Also this year we will celebrate the 875th birthday anniversary of the great Azerbaijani poet and thinker Nizami Ganjavi. During the year, more than 5,000 people will visit Ganja from abroad. The main objective of the Executive Authority is to expand on the progress made in the socioeconomic life of the city, facilitate the sustainable and consistent development of Ganja, and further improve the lives of our people.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Year In Review
Good Times Ahead
<strong></strong><strong>In a year dominated by the overarching theme of low hydrocarbons prices, Azerbaijan showed resilience and verve in putting in place bold measures both to counter the slump in energy prices and put its economy on a surer footing.</strong>
read articleReview: Diplomacy
Operation Outreach
In 2015, Azerbaijan's military budget increased by a notable 27%, to $4.8 billion, or 17.9% of the government's total budget for the year. The first Azerbaijan Defence Exhibition (ADEX 2014), drew over 200 companies from 34 countries, including Russia and the US.
read articleInterview
Rufat Mammadov, President, Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO)
TBY talks to Rufat Mammadov, President of the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO), on large-scale events and their ability to attract FDI and the potential Iran may hold.
read articleReview: Banking
More Interest
In a sector faced with relatively flat growth for 2015-16, new opportunities are still there aplenty, led by the nascent Islamic banking sector, e-banking, and microfinance initiatives. Together, these areas should make banking more diversified and less reliant on a buoyant energy sector for its capital inlay.
read articleReview: Capital Markets
Taking Stock
As Azerbaijan grapples with the knock-on effects of low hydrocarbon prices, the Baku Stock Exchange (BSE) finds itself at the center of the country's efforts to stave off a budget deficit this year. In January, the government announced plans to sell $500 million worth of bonds on the BSE.
read articleReview: Industry & Mining
In The Bag
Industry in Azerbaijan is long established, diversified, and, in many areas, fast growing. Together, these qualities make the sector well placed to see through the global slump in commodity prices, while at home, the manufacturing industry continues to find ways to use its hydrocarbons expertise in other fields, including high technologies and research.
read articleInterview
Khanlar Fatiyev, , Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Ganja Automobile Plant Production Association
TBY talks to Khanlar Fatiyev, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Ganja Automobile Plant Production Association, on the role of the plant in driving growth in the non-oil sector.
read articleReview: Transport
The New Node
With major new railways linking the region, the opening of the new Baku International Sea Trade Port Complex, the completion of a massive program of road building and upgrading, investment in state-of-the-art fleets ranging from Boeing 787s to rail locomotives, Azerbaijan can rightly claim the title as the Caucasus' transportation hub.
read articleReview: Agriculture
Lots More
Farms across the country are pursuing a policy of increased yields for year-round fruit and in the wheat harvest to stave off an over-reliance on imports. With carefully targeted increases in exports, better routes to port and to market, and greater sophistication of agricultural facilities, farming could soon be the morning star of Azerbaijan's diversified economy.
read articleReview: Health
Under One Umbrella
Life expectancy at birth (2015) is 75 years for women and 70 for men. The median age is 30. For both sexes, longevity increased by six years between 2000 and 2012. Azerbaijan is a relatively youthful country—an important factor in healthcare—with 22% of its populace aged under 15 and just 9% aged over 60.
read articleReview: Education
Baku to School
Azerbaijan's culture has always harbored a deep respect for educational values. This is embodied in the country's Azerbaijan 2020 mission statement, which seeks to raise standards across the sector and introduce ICT as a standard part of the learning experience at all levels.
read articleInterview
Elkhan Mammadov,, Secretary General, Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA)
TBY talks to Elkhan Mammadov, Secretary General of the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA), on the experience Azerbaijan is gaining in hosting international events.
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