The twinning project Strengthening the institutional and administrative capacity of the Chamber of Accounts of the Republic of Azerbaijan was launched in Baku with a kick-off conference. The meeting was attended by, among others, Head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan - Kęstutis Jankauskas, Ambassador of Poland to Azerbaijan - Marek Całka, Chairman of the Azerbaijani Chamber of Accounts - Vugar Gulmammadov and President of the Supreme Audit Office of Poland - Krzysztof Kwiatkowski.
The main strategic objective of the Azerbaijani Chamber of Accounts for the upcoming years is to maximally utilise and develop its capacity by gaining new skills and improving the ones to date. This goal will be achieved, among others, by means of the twinning cooperation - the exchange of experience and good practices between corresponding, twin institutions in Member States and countries subject to the EU development assistance.
The project was launched as a result of a long-term cooperation between the Polish and Azerbaijani auditors. In 2013 the delegation of the Chamber of Accounts of Azerbaijan visited NIK. The study visit concerned the audit of CERN, World Bank projects, public debt and infrastructure. Both institutions cooperate in the EUROSAI Working Group on the Audit of Funds Allocated to Disasters and Catastrophes, as well as INTOSAI Working Group on Environmental Auditing.
In 2016 the Chairman of the Azerbaijani Chamber of Accounts visited NIK Regional Branch in Krakow, where he was presented the organisation, competences and tasks of NIK regional offices. In Warsaw Vugar Gulmammadov met with the management of NIK to discuss the audit support, methodology of budget auditing, NIK organisational structure, cooperation with the parliament and media, as well as de lege ferenda proposals.
During the visit in Baku NIK presidents laid flowers at the Alley of Honour and Alley of Martyrs - national remembrance sites dedicated to the famed Azerbaijanis and Azerbaijan-affiliated expatriates, as well as victims of the Soviet intervention in 1990. NIK President was also invited to the seat of the Parliament and the ASAN state agency that provides services to citizens.
Another commenced twinning project confirms high skills of NIK auditors and effective audit methodology. NIK participated in the twinning project in Georgia and is currently implementing such projects for SAIs of Albania, Kosovo and Azerbaijan.
The Chamber of Accounts of Azerbaijan was established by the Parliament in 1999 and began operations two years later. Its activities are based on the Constitution, Law on the Chamber of Accounts, Law on the Budget System and internal regulations. SAI’s mission is to conduct objective and impartial audits to help improve the performance and management of audited bodies and promote accountability, thus ensuring the most economic, efficient and effective use of Azerbaijani resources.
