BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 1. Steps are being taken to turn Azerbaijan into a space hub, Deputy Chairman of Azercosmos Fuad Aslanov said during the 13th international session of IAF, TurkicWorld reports.

"Along with other spheres, we pay special attention to agriculture. We also observe the changes taking place in the period of global warming. We have an opportunity to follow the processes taking place with the help of Earth observation satellites. As Azercosmos, we also prioritize the field of education. For this purpose, we work directly with a number of educational institutions in the country and will continue this work. Azerbaijan has become the center of the region in energy, business and many other areas. We will make every effort to turn our country into a space center," he said.

The International Astronautical Congress has been held annually since 1950 under the auspices of the International Academy of Astronautics and the International Institute of Space Law, with the support of the International Astronautical Federation.

The history of the International Astronautical Congress in Azerbaijan dates back to 1973. Thus, on the initiative of national leader Heydar Aliyev, the 24th International Astronautical Congress was held in Azerbaijan on October 7-13, 1973 under the motto "Space Research - Penetration of Science and Technology", thus Baku became the first city in South Caucasus where this event was organized. And on October 25-29, 2019, Baku won the right to host the most prestigious event of the space industry for the second time at the General Assembly of the International Astronautical Federation in Washington, DC. Thus, the 74th International Astronautical Congress "Global Challenges and Opportunities: Give Space a Chance", organized by Azerbaijan's space agency Azercosmos, will be held in Baku on October 2-6, 2023.