The Republic of Azerbaijan is the newest member of the Intersputnik International Organization of Space Communications. Initially Intersputnik had nine member countries. Now that Azerbaijan has joined the organization, the number now is 25. A delegation of Intersputnik officials headed by its Director General, Gennady Kudryavtsev, met Sept. 27 with Ali Mamed oglu Abbasov, Minister of Communications and Information Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan, to sign an operating agreement. That pact officially is between the national telecommunications organizations (signatories) appointed by the governments of Azerbaijan and Russia. 

In addition, Abbasov and Kudryavtsev discussed the satellite-communications market in the region, Azerbaijan’s government policy about information technologies and the interaction of the Telecommunications Administration of Azerbaijan with Intersputnik. Azerbaijan’s decision to join Intersputnik was made last May, later approved by the country’s Milli Mejlis (Parliament) and ratified last month.

Intersputnik provides integrated communications services to broadcasters, telecom operators and corporate customers via the LMI-1 satellite at 75 degrees East, operated by the Lockheed Martin Intersputnik joint venture as well as by the Russian Express-A series satellites.

(Stefan Kollar, Intersputnik, 011 7 095 241 7277)