OREANDA-NEWS. On April 14-15, 2009, Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan, hosted the joint XXXVII session of the Board and 9th meeting of the Operations Committee. Held on the invitation of H.E. Mr. A.M.Abbasov, Minister of Telecommunications and Information Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan, this event was attended by high-level representatives from most of the Intersputnik Member Countries and Signatories.

The joint meeting was opened by Mr. V.E. Belov, Director General of Intersputnik. H.E. Mr. A.M.Abbasov, Minister of Telecommunications and Information Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan, was elected Chairman of the Intersputnik Board for the next year.

During the joint meeting, the Board and the Operations Committee addressed and made decisions on various aspects of the Organization’s business. The delegates reviewed a detailed report of Intersputnik’s Director General related to the Organization’s performance over the year, which won a high appraisal of both the Board and the Operations Committee. It was noted that the positive indicators were secured against the background of the rapidly aggravating global financial and economic crisis.

The delegates looked into amendments to the Intersputnik Operating Agreement proposed for the purpose of clearly defining methods of apportioning dividends among the Members and Signatories of Intersputnik. These amendments were approved and took effect immediately.

The Board and the Operations Committee concluded that the amendments to the Operating Agreement signified that the Organization had completed an important long-term process of reforming and updating Intersputnik’s regulatory documents.

The Board and the Operations Committee thoroughly discussed progress in the filing, notification and international frequency coordination of Intersputnik’s satellite networks as a vital aspect of Intersputnik’s activity. In this context, Intersputnik’s governing bodies expressed appreciation to the Telecommunications Administration of the Republic of Belarus that for many years had been performing the functions of a Notifying Administration in Intersputnik’s interests. The delegates of the joint meeting appreciated the Directorate’s activity aimed at implementing major international satellite projects using Intersputnik’s orbit/frequency resource in cooperation with the largest Russian satellite companies.

The delegates reviewed and approved the report of the Chair of the Operations Committee on action taken by the Committee over the year and the Summary Record of the meeting of the Audit Committee concerning the audit of Intersputnik’s financial and economic indicators during the period from January 1 to December 31, 2008.

A presentation of the Organization’s subsidiary Intersputnik Holding, Ltd. attracted great interest of the delegates. They expressed content that Intersputnik Holding, Ltd. as an international group of operators was in 2008 joined by another new operator incorporated and operating in Tajikistan. Currently, Intersputnik Holding, Ltd. offers a full range of satellite telecommunications services using its own teleports in Russia and Central Asian countries.

An important milestone during the joint meeting of the Board and the Operation Committee was the election of Intersputnik’s Director General. For the coming four years this office will be held by Mr. V.E. Belov.

The Ministry of Information and Communications of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam invited the Board and the Committee to meet for a regular session in early 2010 in Hanoi, Socialist Republic of Vietnam.