The Conference on the theme “The border of European and Asian continents passes through Azerbaijan” was held in the Institute of Geography.

It have been coorganized by the Institute of Geography and azerbaijanian Geographic Society on 17 december 2014.

The event was attended by acad. Fahraddin Gadirov, secretary of Department of Earth Sciences, PhD in geology and mineralogyRashid Fataliyev, Deputy Head of oil and chemical department in Cabinet of Ministers,Javid Abdullayev, head of the department of International relations in the State Commitee for Land and Cartography and Geospatial Information Technologies, aswell as leading experts from Ministers of Culture and Tourism, Youth and Sports, Environment and Natural Resources, Ministry of Education and institutions and organizations.

The Conference was opened by acad.Ramiz Mammadov, President of the Geographical Society and Director of the Institute of Geography named after acad.H.Aliyev. He spoke about the importance of the issue and said that recently the co-operation contract was signed between the GeographicalSocieties ofRussia and Azerbaijan.

He noted that many scientists and experts around the world have discovered that the border between Europe and Asia in Caucasus lies not along the Kuma–Manych Depression, but along the Great Dividing Range further on the Absheron Peninsula. This will allow the country to be recognized as European along Russia (23 percent) and Turkey (3 percent).

The border between Europe and Asia was marked during the IGU’s 20th conference, which was held in London in 1964. Earlier in 2013, Mammadov said that the international scientific and geographical rules were not taken into account when the borders were determined. In particular, the watershed of the Greater Caucasus Mountains and other natural and geographical factors were not considered and the border was arbitrarily drawn through the center of the Kuma-Manych Depression.

The boundary that separates Europe and Asia originates in the Black Sea, goes through the watershed of the Greater Caucasus, Dubrar Mountains, the northern part of the Absheron Peninsula and beyond -- across the Caspian Sea, connecting with the line which was suggested by Russian and Kazakh scientists. Then it crosses the Magistau Peninsula in Kazakhstan, along the eastern foothills of the Ural Mountains and then links to the border in the Arctic Ocean.

Mammadov also stressed that it is necessary to adopt a range of measures for the positive solution of this issue. At first we should discuss and then implement them via the International Geographical Union (IGU).

Javid Abdullayev, the Head of the of Geo-location and Information Technology Department of the State Committee for Land and Cartography suggested to implement some multidisciplinary research as well as to establish a joint commission of the State Committee and ANAS.

Rashid Fataliyev, a PhD in Geological and Mineralogical Sciences, who firstly raised the issue, noted that it will be appropriate to consider the Great Dividing Range as the border between the two continents.

“After approval of the issue by the IGU, the border will be clarified and this information will be included in the whole textbooks, encyclopedia and maps,” Fataliyev underlined.

He also added that Prime Minister Artur Rasizada is informed on the issue. He has ordered the relative officials to adopt appropriate measures.