Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 5
By Huseyn Valiyev - Trend:
Turkish operator TurkTelekom is interested in participating in the privatisation of state-owned enterprises in Azerbaijan (Aztelekom and Baku Telephone Communications production associations), CEO of TurkTelekom Cengiz Oztelcan told Trend.
TurkTelekom is aiming at regional expansion and shows interest in all privatisation processes in the region, he said.
"Privatisation of communication enterprises is Azerbaijan's decision. We are ready to review and evaluate the companies put up for privatisation after they will be open for this," Oztelcan noted.
Azerbaijani Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies prepared the documents necessary for changing the ownership type of public communication enterprises - Aztelekom and Baku Telephone Communication production associations - turning them into open joint-stock companies (OJSCs).
The ministry has submitted these documents to the government.
It is expected that the privatisation of enterprises will be launched after completion of restructuring.
At the initial stage the state stationary network operators are expected to be united into a single telecommunications company - an OJSC and 100 per cent of its shares will be owned by the state.
In the next phase the shares in the company will be subject to privatisation, which will contribute to the emergence of private companies and a body regulating their activities.
The cost of Aztelekom may exceed $1 billion, according to Azerbaijani Communications and Information Technologies Ministry. The ministry's long-term plans include privatisation of all enterprises under its control, after which it will act solely as a regulator in Azerbaijan's telecommunications market.
