The United States pays special attention to the security of the Southern Gas Corridor

Baku / 08.19.20 / Turan: the  US Ambassador to Azerbaijan  Litzenberger called one of the priority tasks for the development of the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) to expand the gas flow by establishing links across the Caspian Sea, as well as ensuring the security of the gas pipeline infrastructure. He stated this, speaking at the regional symposium on energy security for civil servants and professionals working in the field of energy and international security in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, which took place on August 11-14 in Baku.  Litzenberger noted that "the United States views energy security as national security, which sounds as true here in the Caucasus as it does in the rest of Europe and at home in North America."

The ambassador noted that energy disruptions  can have massive and disastrous consequences. Technical failures, natural disasters, sabotage or decision-making by a foreign energy supplier can all cause problems. “This underscores the need to both protect critical infrastructure on the one hand and create a marketable global gas market on the other. Over the years, Azerbaijan, together with its commercial and strategic partners, has built an impressively sustainable energy infrastructure, ”he said.

Litzenberger, who helped develop NATO's energy security doctrine, notes that reinforced infrastructure protects populations from potentially catastrophic economic stress and real threats to the lives of vulnerable populations. Free markets prevent countries from using gas for political purposes and stimulate economic growth around the world.

In connection with the need to protect the critical energy and cyber infrastructure of Azerbaijan, the Ambassador spoke in favor of increasing the efficiency of protecting intellectual property rights in Azerbaijan. “We were able to get a promise from the American Chamber of Commerce that all member companies will only use licensed software. But there is still a lot to be done, ”he said.

According to the Ambassador, cyber security remains a key component of the security of energy infrastructure, and I would like to note that this is an area in which the United States continues to invest heavily.

“We urge Azerbaijan to make this a priority and take the same steps, first by enforcing IP rights and second by strengthening its systems against potential attacks from unscrupulous actors,” he said.  Litzenberger assured that the United States is ready to continue to support the further development of Azerbaijan as a reliable supplier of energy resources to the world.

"I want to reaffirm the US support for Azerbaijan and the companies participating in the Southern Gas Corridor," the US Ambassador said.-0-