BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 21. The growing role and opportunities of Azerbaijan, which successfully hosts important events, participants of which discuss global problems, especially in the field of European energy security, are recognized at the international level.
The IX Global Baku Forum on "Challenges to the Global World Order", held under the auspices of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and organized by the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, also attracted attention by holding important discussions.
Various energy projects implemented by the country in recent years have laid the foundation for deepening international cooperation. These projects, based on the national interests of the country, have made Azerbaijan one of the leading exporters and suppliers not only in the region, but also in Eurasia. Azerbaijan, which over the past 25 years commissioned the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum, Baku-Novorossiysk and Baku-Supsa oil and gas pipelines, has implemented such global projects as TANAP and TAP, being important segments of the Southern Gas Corridor, is considered one of the main players in the energy market.
The country has successfully implemented a strategy for transporting natural gas to Western markets. The annual growth in the volume of natural gas exported to European countries confirms that our country is a major supplier of natural gas to the world market.
Speaking at the IX Global Baku Forum on "Challenges to the Global World Order", Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that the need for Azerbaijan's energy resources is growing.
"The situation in Europe has changed dramatically. Therefore, the need for Azerbaijani hydrocarbons is growing and we are trying to do all what we can in order to satisfy the growing demands from many countries. We received, during the last couple of months, requests from many European countries with respect to the gas supply and, of course, it is not easy, because first we need to produce it and we were not planning to increase gas production. Therefore, now we are working with the European Commission on this," the president said.
The ongoing armed conflict in Ukraine, the peak of tension in relations between Russia and the West, and the mutual sanctions imposed have not only sharply increased oil and gas prices on the world market, but also strengthened the tendency to use natural energy resources as an instrument of geopolitical pressure. European countries are looking for alternative sources and exporters to get rid of energy dependence on Russia.
This is evidenced by the words of the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a letter addressed to President Ilham Aliyev in connection with the opening of the IX Global Baku Forum.
“We are now approaching the most intensive phase of two parallel reconfigurations of our energy supply. We need to cut our ties with Russian fossil fuels. Alternative suppliers, such as Azerbaijan, have a vital role to play," the letter said.
Along with the forum participants, in recent months, the heads of states and governments of a number of European countries have also noted the importance of cooperation with Azerbaijan in the energy sector. One of the main reasons for this is that the country is a reliable, stable business partner, never uses rich oil and gas resources as a political tool, and prevents artificial price increases.
The launch of the Southern Gas Corridor has further increased the attractiveness and strategic importance of Azerbaijan for Europe. The holding of ministerial meetings in Baku within the framework of the Consultative Council on the Southern Gas Corridor is due to the fact that Azerbaijan is the main initiator, investor and supplier of natural gas. The predicted reserves of natural gas fields, which are currently in operation and will be ready for operation in the near future, amount to 2.6-3 trillion cubic meters. This creates a reliable guarantee that Azerbaijan will remain a reliable supplier of hydrocarbon resources for more than 100 years.
In connection with the capacity of TAP and TANAP, CEO of the TANAP consortium Saltuk Duzyol noted that it could take nearly five years to almost double the capacity of the gas pipeline to 31 billion cubic meters. At the first stage, this figure is expected to be increased to 24, and at the second - to 31 billion cubic meters. Azerbaijan is negotiating with foreign partners to increase the throughput of pipelines.
In general, the serious support from the EU countries for the measures taken by Azerbaijan to broaden the export of energy resources expands its opportunities to receive real political support in this geography and ensure its strategic interests.