On June 29, the first meeting of the Digital Development Council of the Republic of Azerbaijan was held under the chairmanship of First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva.

According to EDnews, First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva addressed the meeting, outlining Azerbaijan's strategic vision for digital transformation.

Speech by First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva
"Dear colleagues,

Today, we are holding the first meeting of the Digital Development Council of the Republic of Azerbaijan. In February of this year, under the chairmanship of President Ilham Aliyev, a meeting dedicated to the country's new digital development strategy was held. Based on the instructions given at that meeting, the 2026–2028 Action Plan for Accelerating Digital Development was approved.

A concrete roadmap has been established for the next three years to ensure the development of digitalization, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and the innovation ecosystem. The Council's main task is to coordinate the activities of various state institutions, establish a unified approach, and ensure the timely and effective implementation of adopted decisions.

Our goal is not only to introduce new technologies but also to stimulate the national economy, build a modern innovation ecosystem, attract domestic and foreign investment, support local startups, and create a more efficient public administration system.

Artificial intelligence is no longer a technology of the future—it is a key driver of development today. At the same time, AI is becoming increasingly central to ensuring national security. It is no secret that the development of AI in leading countries is advancing faster than previously expected, creating both new opportunities and new risks. We must be prepared for emerging challenges, particularly in cybersecurity and information security.

Achieving our goals requires active and effective cooperation among all government institutions. Our objective is to make Azerbaijan one of the leading countries in the region in digital development and artificial intelligence. We must study international experience and make use of successful models. However, all decisions should be based on Azerbaijan's national interests and needs.

At today's meeting, Minister Rashad Nabiyev will present the work carried out and the results achieved since the February meeting."

Minister Rashad Nabiyev Presents Progress Report
Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rashad Nabiyev briefed the First Vice President on the implementation of the 2026–2028 Action Plan for Accelerating Digital Development and outlined future priorities.

He noted that the action plan includes 58 initiatives covering digitalization, artificial intelligence, innovation, and cybersecurity.

Regarding digital transformation, the minister said roadmaps had been prepared with 40 government institutions, with 13 already approved or in the final approval stage.

Nabiyev also provided updates on the creation of the National Data Lake, the migration of government information systems to the government cloud, and the construction of a new national data center.

He reported that the MyGov platform has significantly expanded its services, with the number of users increasing from 2.7 million to 3.5 million over the past three months. Several new applications have already been integrated into the platform, while services from seven additional government applications are expected to become available by the end of the year.

The minister stressed that artificial intelligence is one of the Action Plan's key priorities, noting that AI-based solutions are being introduced across MyGov and other government institutions, including the launch of a virtual citizen assistant.

He also discussed efforts to strengthen Azerbaijan's innovation ecosystem, announcing the establishment of the Azerbaijan Resilience Cluster, which aims to unite companies working in areas that support technological sovereignty.

In the field of cybersecurity, Nabiyev said work is underway to establish the National Security Operations Center, the National Cyber Incident Response Center, and the Digital Investigation Center, as well as a unified national cybersecurity platform to facilitate rapid information exchange between public and private sectors.

Legislative Reforms for the Digital Economy
Presidential Assistant and Head of the Department for Economic Affairs and Innovative Development Policy at the Presidential Administration Shahmar Movsumov briefed the First Vice President on legislative reforms supporting Azerbaijan's digital transformation.

He said digital transformation has become one of the country's key policy priorities under President Ilham Aliyev's leadership. Movsumov recalled that the President signed a decree in February establishing the Digital Development Council and approving the 2026–2028 Action Plan.

According to him, under the leadership of First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva, comprehensive reforms are being prepared to create a modern legal framework aligned with the Council's strategic priorities. He described the initiative as one of the most comprehensive digital ecosystem reform efforts in the post-Soviet region.

The reforms cover legal certainty, a competitive tax environment, innovation financing, research and development incentives, talent attraction, market access, and improved cybersecurity regulation.

Movsumov noted that the reforms are based on international best practices, with successful models from various countries studied during the drafting process.

Education Sector Digitalization
Minister of Science and Education Emin Amrullayev informed the First Vice President about ongoing efforts to digitalize Azerbaijan's education system.

He highlighted initiatives including the provision of a unified internet network for educational institutions, the Digital School project, the digitalization of education records at all levels, and the electronic issuance of educational documents. He added that the next stage will focus on the digitalization of the learning process itself.

Amrullayev also emphasized projects such as Digital Skills and STEAM Azerbaijan, aimed at strengthening students' digital competencies, noting that developing human capital remains one of the country's top priorities.

The meeting continued with discussions on the implementation of the digital development agenda.