Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 6 / Trend S. Suleymanov /
Azerbaijan has developed a national plan to prevent and liquidate oil spills at sea, Kamaladdin Heydarov, Azerbaijani Minister of Emergency Situations, said at the forum KazEnergy in Astana today.
"At present, Azerbaijan has developed a national plan to prevent and liquidate oil spills at sea. A specialized emergency rescue service, with all the necessary equipment and personnel, is operating as part of the Ministry of Emergency Situations," Heydarov said.
Heydarov delivered a report on "Politics. Cooperation of the Caspian countries to prevent oil and industrial pollution of the marine area" as part of a forum examining"Lessons from the Gulf catastrophe. Caspian Sea: ways to reduce the technological risks" during the Fifth Eurasian Energy Forum.
A regional body is needed to implement rescue and disaster management operations, taking into account lessons learned from the spill in the Gulf of Mexico earlier this year, the minister said.
"The Caspian emergency rescue service of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Emergency Situations has sufficient forces in accordance with international conventions. It may serve as an authorized regional body," Heydarov said.
However, as well as Caspian countries, major oil companies operating in the Caspian region must be concerned in preventing and eliminating man-made risks, he said.
The Fifth Eurasian Forum KazEnergy was launched in Kazakhstan on Oct. 5. The main theme of the event is the "Energy Map of Eurasia: the balance of risks and opportunities". The heads of state bodies of Kazakhstan and foreign countries, the top management of the world's leading oil and energy companies, representatives of business community and leading experts are attending the event. The Kazakh Association of Oil & Gas and Energy Complex, KazEnergy, is the founder of the Forum.