World Post Day is celebrated each year on 9 October, as the union was founded on 9 October 1874 in Bern, Switzerland. This date was first declared World Post Day at the 1969 UPU Congress in Tokyo, Japan, with the participation of representatives of more than 20 countries. Thus, the main document defining the general principles of the Universal Postal Union and the rights and obligations of its members – the Universal Postal Convention was adopted. Currently, 192 countries are represented in this institution. Our country became a member of the UPU in 1993, and since then, World Post Day has been widely celebrated in our country.

Many postal organizations are members of the International Postal Union. Examples of this include Japan Post, Denmark Post, Deutsche Post and others. There are currently more than 600,000 post offices worldwide and everyone can use the postal service. In every country, postal services play a vital role in the exchange of information and goods.

Although it is believed that the history of communication in Azerbaijan dates back to 1881, it actually has very ancient historical roots. Thus, in order to save the state of Khulaki from economic and political crisis, Ghazan Khan carried out a postal reform in 1303. Later, in 1501, Shah Ismail Khatai laid the foundations for the organization of postal communication at the state level. Postal communication in Azerbaijan developed further during the reign of Safavids (16th century).

Creation of the post in its modern form falls on the first half of 19th century. In 1818, the first post office was opened in Ganja.

In the early 20th century, when the Republic of Azerbaijan was proclaimed the first republic in the Muslim East, one of the first ministries of the Provisional Government became the Ministry of Communications. In the history of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Ministry of Communications was founded on 28 May 1918. The communication, which is a strategically important direction in the structure of state administration, also developed during this period. Khudadat bey Malik-Aslanov was appointed the first Minister of Roads and Minister of Post and Telegraph. Later Jamo-bey Hajinski held the post of Minister of Post and Telegraph of Azerbaijan.

Jamo-bey Hajinski was a great contributor to the development of the postal and telegraph system founded by A. Shafikurdski.

The most difficult and at the same time the most glorious period of activity of the Azerbaijani Post fell on the years of the Second World War. And it is appropriate here to note the selflessness of postmen. In this period, the postal workers had double responsibility, because the increase of mail volume and timely delivery of war letters to the addresses required responsibility and will in all senses. Despite these difficulties, postal workers performed their duties perfectly during the war.

National Leader Heydar Aliyev laid the foundation for the strategy of development of communication sphere in our country. Back in the times of the Soviet Union, National Leader Heydar Aliyev paid attention to this field and laid the foundation for today’s development of information and communication technologies. Already in the first years of the collapse of the USSR and independence of our republic, the process of development of technologies took a serious character. Thus, modernization of new information communications started in Azerbaijan, the first electronic telephone exchanges were built, post offices were expanded.

At the end of the last century, the postal communication became a new independent organization, leaving the postal communication out of electrical communication, and the Azerbaijani postal service entered its new stage of development, thus continuing its activity as Azerpost Production Association. In March 1997, within the framework of the implemented targeted measures and successful personnel reforms, a short-term Programme of Revival and Development of postal communication was adopted, and in December – “Concept of Postal Communication Development for 1998-2003”. Azerpost has been operating as a State enterprise since 1999.

The Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan “On Postal Service”, adopted in 2004 has further accelerated the development of the postal communications sector and created wide opportunities for the provision of new services.

As the country’s national postal operator, Azerpost LLC currently has the widest service network in the country and provides traditional and non-traditional postal and financial services to all segments of the population, as well as legal entities, at reasonable prices. The most successful project of Azerpost LLC is commissioning of “Shebeke” service centres. At the same time, “Shebeke” centers carry out registration of local and international payment cards, compulsory insurance, electronic signature, envelopes, brands, public and air tickets, money transfers, budgets, utilities, State Mortgage Fund payments and mobile devices.

The favorable geostrategic location of Azerbaijan, the formation of regional and international transport corridors as a result of purposeful policy carried out by the President and transformation of Baku into a large transport and logistics center have opened up new opportunities for our country in terms of transportation and delivery of international e-commerce products by post. Currently, a project is being implemented that allows Azerbaijan to act as a regional transit postal center (HUB) to carry out interstate e-commerce.

Recommended literature:

1. Poçt rabitəsinin idarə edilməsi və informasiya texnologiyaları: dərslik /H. Ə. Əliyev [elmi red.], X. S. Süleymanov, Q. M. Cəfərov, Ş. A. Məsimzadə. - Bakı: [AzTU], 2018. – 311 s.
2. Əliyev Heydər və Azərbaycan rabitəsi /Layihənin müəllifi: N. Əhmədov, M. Əmirov; Tərtibçi: М. İsmayılov, Red.: Х. Abbasov, Fotolar: R. Bağırov; Dizayner: Х. Mirzəyev. - Bakı: Azərmarka, 2002. - 136 s.
3. Salayev, Oktay Ağacan oğlu. Poçt rabitəsinin təşkili və istismarı : orta ixtisas təhsili müəssisələrinin tələbələri üçün dərslik: bu nəşr respublikda poçt rabitəsinə aid ilk dərslikdir / O. A. Salayev, V. V. Əliyev, E. Ş. Kərimli ; red. N. N. Salayeva. - Bakı : MSV Nəşr, 2020. - 304 s.
4. Алиев, Намик Гасан оглу. Искусство Азербайджанской почтовой марки: [100-летию Азербайджанской почтовой марки посвящается] /Н. Г. Алиев ; гл. консультант И. Багирлы. - Баку: Азернешр, 2019. - 140 с.