NATO Advanced Networking Workshop
The 3rd CEENet Workshop on Network Policy.
26-30 September , 2003
International Tourist Centre "Ganclik", Baku, Azerbaijan

Location (site and country): International Tourist Centre "Ganclik", Baku, Azerbaijan

Dates: 26-30 September , 2003

Type of Workshop: Policy

Final programme of the Baku workshop: programme.pdf (printable)

Pick-up possibility: The car with the tablet "NATO Advanced Networking Workshop" will wait at the airport. Person for contact:

Fuad Karayev - phone: (994 55) 2166060 (Russian and Turkish speaking)

On obtaining the visa:
Person for contact:
Fuad Huseynov - phone: (994 50) 3366266 (English, Russian and Turkish speaking)

Keywords: Network Security, Information Security, Network Sustainability, Private-Partner Partnership, CCTLD, AUP, Regional Cooperation, NREN

Co-sponsors of the event:

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WORKSHOP>>>>

Progress report of "Virtual Silk Highway"
project implementation

Advanced information-communication technologies (ICT) play the leading role in implementation at high level of the reforms in the field of science and education in Azerbaijan Republic, bringing of Azerbaijan science and education in correspondence with a level of the highest world standards, using of advanced experience and potential of the leading research and education centers of developed countries by the national specialists. Implementation of these technologies is impossible without use of new methods, advanced technical facilities, high-speed links and Internet that, in its turn, demands large investments.

One of such investments is the project "Virtual Silk Highway" suggested by NATO Scientific Committee. Connection of three Caucasian countries: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and five countries of Middle Asia: Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tadjikistan to Internet is planned within the framework of this project by means of the advanced satellite technologies and creation in such a way of "Virtual Silk Highway". The main aim of the project is organization at a higher level of data exchange among research and education institutions of the stated countries with the world information community.

One of the main directions of informatization of Azerbaijan society is informatization of education and research institutions. For this reason participation of Azerbaijan in implementation of "Virtual Silk Highway" project is considered as one of the main stages in informatization of our society and integration of our republic into the world information community.

The suggested project "Virtual Silk Highway" in 2004 will enable increasing a speed of links for each of the stated countries up to 3-4 Mbps. For achievement of this purpose each of eight countries must have a surface antenna of VSAT type and network equipment. This equipment should be connected via an artificial satellite to Network Operation Center located in Hamburg, Germany.

With that end in view the appropriate equipment shipped by NATO Scientific Committee to our republic within the framework of the project "Virtual Silk Highway" was installed on the roof of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences and opening ceremony was held on May 15 this year.

Mr. George Robertson, NATO General Secretary, ambassadors of foreign states, prominent scientific figures of our republic, representatives of various ministries, research and education institutions took part in this ceremony. During this event a videoconference was organized between AzRENA Network Operation Center and Network Operation Center located in Hamburg, Germany.

In Azerbaijan Republic the project "Virtual Silk Highway" is implemented by AzRENA (Azerbaican Research & Education Network Association).

Since its foundation AzRENA carries out a task-oriented activity in the field of new computer network development in research and education institutions, enhancement of infrastructure of operating computer networks and their connection to Internet. As a case in point may be indicated the computer networks created in the most institutes and organizations of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, in Baku State University, Azerbaijan State Economical University, Azerbaijan Technical University, Azerbaijan Architectural and Construction University, Azerbaijan Language University, Research-and-production Center "RENASCENCE", high schools Nos. 119, 134, physico-mathematical lyceum etc. At present these computer networks connected among themselves within the framework of AzRENA, have founded a vast network infrastructure. It should be noted that a basis of this network infrastructure is a computer network of of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences.

At present AzRENA is regularly engaged in connection of research and education institutions to Internet planned within the framework of "Virtual Silk Highway" project. For this purpose "Questionnaire" was drawn to gather information of available computers in universities and a status of LANs and Internet, then this "Questionnaire" was sent to government and non-governmental institutions. On June 17, 2003 AzRENA held a meeting under the name "Virtual Silk Highway" in the Public Internet Center for discussion of "Questionnaire" results. The management and members of AzRENA, representatives of government and non-governmental education institutions, Ministry of Communication, IATP IREX, "Soros" fund, CISCO, the World Bank took part in this meeting. The decision of project preparation for connection of education institutions to AzRENA network was made at this meeting. This project has been already developed by the leading specialists and handed over to all universities.

For implementation of the project "Virtual Silk Highway" AzRENA has signed the memorandum of joint activity with such organizations as SOROS and IREX. On August 25, 2003 a meeting of these organizations together with azRENA was held for discussion of the project progress.

On September 9, 2003 AzRENA specialists reported of the project "Virtual Silk Highway" progress at the meeting of IT Task Group Commission on cooperation with NATO in Azerbaijan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In surface antenna of VSAT type, which was put into operation on May 15, 2003, and in the network equipment a failure was revealed twice and the appropriate devices were replaced by Network Operation Center in Hamburg and the failure was eliminated.

At present this equipment is operating normally, a downlink speed from Internet under the project "Virtual Silk Highway" is 1Mbps, information rate is 128 Kbps.

In the near future AzRENA is planning creation of computer networks in research and education institutions of all the regions of our republic including in towns Nakhichevan, Ganja and others and connection them to Internet.