Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has delivered remarks at Panel Discussion "Resource Security and Shifting Global Power" as part of the Munich Security Conference, AzerTAj state news agency reported.
Over the past decades the Munich Security Conference has become the major security policy conference worldwide. Each year it brings together senior figures from around the world, including state and government officials, parliamentarians, political analysts and journalists to engage in an intensive debate on current and future security challenges.
The panel discussion was opened by moderator Friedrich Merz who thanked panelists, including the Azerbaijani leader, for the participation.
In his remarks, President Ilham Aliyev highlighted Azerbaijan's role in energy security-related issues which he described as "critically important on the global scale".
The President said Azerbaijan was one of the first oil exporters worldwide, adding the country`s "right policy" allowed it to embark on large-scaled projects in collaboration with the world`s leading companies.
President Ilham Aliyev praised Azerbaijan's gas potential.
"Azerbaijan was importing gas until 2007, but now we are one of the largest gas producers."
The Azerbaijani leader said his country was exporting its energy resources in various directions.
"To this end we created pipeline infrastructure. Azerbaijan places a particular emphasis on diversifying its export routes."
President Ilham Aliyev touched upon what the country had been doing to direct energy export earnings to non-oil sector.
The President also highlighted Azerbaijan's economic achievements, saying: "We continued moving forward on the path towards development in 2009 despite it marked global crisis."
"Azerbaijan's Gross Domestic Product grew above 9 percent last year," he added.
President Ilham Aliyev also touched upon the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, describing it as what "seriously impedes" efforts to ensure peace, security and cooperation in the region.
"Armenia's aggression policy resulted in the occupation of a part of Azerbaijan's territories, while a million Azerbaijanis became refugees and IDPs."
"The dispute can be settled only on the basis of the integrity of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territories," the President said.
Other speakers at the panel discussion included Jurgen Grosmann, Chief Executive Officer RWE, Anne Lauvergeon, Chief Executive Officer AREVA, James Steinberg, US Deputy Secretary of State, and Valery Yazev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma and President of the Russian Gas Society.
Following the remarks the Azerbaijani leader responded to questions from the panelists.