The Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, together with the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (CAERC), organized a public lecture on “Strategic Management of Economic Reforms: Results and Prospects.”

The main goal of the lecture was to share knowledge with researchers on topics such as inclusive development, e-government advancement, new directions for strategic targets, the role of strategic governance in implementing Strategic Roadmaps, and their evaluation, as well as to facilitate discussions with them.

The lecture, intended for master’s and doctoral students at the Academy, featured opening speeches by the Rector of the Academy, academician Urkhan Alakbarov, on “Inclusive Development and Governance Technologies: Azerbaijan’s Experience,” and CAERC Executive Director Vusal Gasimli on “Strategic Management of Economic Reforms: Results and Prospects.”

Rector Urkhan Alakbarov highlighted the successful outcomes of Heydar Aliyev’s policies and noted that the ideas of the National Leader have been successfully implemented by President Ilham Aliyev. He presented concrete evidence of the rapid development of Azerbaijan’s economy. Alakbarov emphasized that, according to several economic and social indicators, modern Azerbaijan competes with countries with centuries-long histories and global leadership. Thanks to the synergetic and compensatory governance technologies introduced by the Head of State—the first of their kind globally—Azerbaijan’s inclusive development index in the January 2018 Davos Forum report was higher than that of many European Union member states.

Alakbarov also stressed the strategic importance of the Strategic Roadmaps and decisions on e-government development in expanding the country’s economic and trade relations and their role in Azerbaijan’s modern progress. He highlighted the special contribution of First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva to the country’s successful development.

CAERC Executive Director Vusal Gasimli, in his presentation, emphasized that the ongoing economic reforms in Azerbaijan are yielding tangible results. Gasimli highlighted that the Strategic Roadmaps implemented under President Ilham Aliyev’s leadership have laid the foundation for strategic governance. Institutional reforms based on the principles of “good governance” and “open government” are improving economic efficiency.

Gasimli further noted that Azerbaijan’s continued ranking as the most reform-oriented country in the Doing Business report is no coincidence. Significant reforms have been undertaken to strengthen Azerbaijan’s position in the upcoming Doing Business-2019 report in areas such as starting a business, obtaining construction permits, connecting to electricity networks, registering property, accessing credit, protecting small investors, paying taxes, conducting foreign trade, enforcing contracts, and closing businesses.

He also pointed out that CAERC-led initiatives—including the Azexport portal, Digital Trade Hub, Single Window Export Support Center, unified online export applications, and EnterpriseAzerbaijan.com—make a significant contribution to building a digital economy.

The lecture concluded with discussions and a Q&A session.