President Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree mandating the use of a new coordinate system for all geodetic, gravimetric, topographic, cartographic, and cadastral work carried out in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
According to the decree, the international WGS-84 coordinate system, based on the UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator) projection, will be used in the execution of these tasks. The Cabinet of Ministers has been instructed to address the issues arising from the decree.
The decision to implement the WGS-84 system in all forms of geospatial work carries strategic significance, particularly in the context of the border delimitation process with Armenia. Transitioning to a unified and internationally recognized coordinate system will eliminate reliance on outdated Soviet General Staff maps, which were based on the Soviet SK-42 coordinate system. This shift will provide a more accurate and objective basis for defining the state border.
The adoption of WGS-84, widely used in global navigation and geoinformation systems and based on a universal ellipsoid model, minimizes discrepancies that previously arose due to the use of differing reference systems. While Soviet and Russian systems relied on the Krasovsky ellipsoid with local parameters, WGS-84 ensures high precision, global compatibility, and full integration with modern satellite technologies, including GPS.
This move will serve as a foundation for a more accurate and mutually acceptable border delimitation between Azerbaijan and Armenia, ensuring transparency and reducing the risk of disputes. It also paves the way for a complete departure from Soviet-era maps as a legal and technical basis for border negotiations and lays the groundwork for a sustainable, modern approach to spatial governance in the post-Soviet region.
Ilgar Velizade
