In European Relations Azerbaijan Continues to Rely on Energy

Azerbaijan in its bilateral relations with the European Union continues to focus on the energy security of Europe, where the official Baku is trying to convince Europeans of the importance of its role in this matter.

Energy is a leading component of economic relations between Azerbaijan and the EU, which accounts for 50% of the country's foreign trade.

On passing the international conference "Building Bridges" the Deputy Energy Minister Natig Abbasov said that Azerbaijan fulfilled in a timely manner all the projects, including the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline and implements the Trans-Anatolian Gas Pipeline TANAP.

"We set the goal to produce 35 billion cubic meters of gas per year and bring the volume up to 65 billion cubic meters," Abbasov said, pointing to the fact that Azerbaijan can achieve its objectives as a transit country.

He said that already held were seven rounds of negotiations with Ashgabat on the transit of Turkmen gas to Europe via Azerbaijan. "We are ready to provide technical assistance and the territory for Turkmen gas via Azerbaijan to Europe," he said.

After reporting on the readiness of Azerbaijan to export 8 billion kWh of electricity per year through Georgia and Turkey, Abbasov said that Azerbaijan is actively involved in European policy of the development of alternative energy, which consists of applying new clean industrial sources of energy.

While the topic of energy continues to maintain priority, answers were also given to urgent questions of the participants of the European economic diversification. If by 2010, 80% of all investments were directed to the energy sector, now the proportion has changed in favor of the non-oil sector, which accounts for 70% of the investment, the director of the Department of Economic Development Investment Sahil Babayev stated.

Priorities have changed in the direction of the development of agriculture and tourism. According to the head of the administration of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism Firudin Gurbanov, over the past 5 years, the number of hotels has increased from 300 to 515, of which 80% are concentrated in the regions. "We have an agreement on cooperation with 31 European countries, and actively participate in the European shows," he said.

The Vice President of Tourism of the German Automobile Club Max Stich cited three benefits of Azerbaijan, which give the country the opportunity for successful reform. "These benefits include energy, geo-strategic location, and demographics, which implies the presence of a large number of young people," he said.

For his part, the chairman of the Regional Development of Azerbaijan Chingiz Ismailov said that although the country itself has evolved into an investor in various foreign projects, it is substantially interested in innovation investments from Europe. 

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