BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 7. Azerbaijan, as an initiator of the Sothern Gas Corridor (SGC), has changed the energy map of Europe, Khalid Taimur Akram, Executive Director of the Pakistani Center for Global & Strategic Studies told Trend.
“The SGC, as one of the biggest infrastructure projects in the continent of which Azerbaijan is the initiator, has changed the energy map of Europe. Azerbaijan is enriched in natural resources. Europe, in its turn, is aiming at diversifying its energy supplies. It is also true that South-European countries want to become part of the SGC. I believe that Azerbaijan will be successful in enhancing cooperation with those states and building more corridors, gas pipelines in the future as well,” he said.
In this aspect, a Memorandum of Understanding was already signed between Azerbaijan and the EU to double the supply of Azerbaijani natural gas to Europe by 2027. I believe that under such initiatives the SGC will enhance further by every leap and bound and will prove to be a great success, the executive director added.
As Akram also noted, the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) is a crucial project that will be beneficial for energy security of Europe.
“The recent inauguration of the IGB has proved to be a greater game changer in the region in terms of diversifying energy routes. I believe this is a project of common interest and a priority project under the Central and South Eastern Europe Energy Connectivity,” he said.
Regarding Azerbaijan’s renewable energy potential, the expert pointed out Azerbaijan’s strong will to shift to cleaner, green energy sources, which will result in a great victory for the country’s electricity market in the coming time.
Amid increased energy demands and conventional methods for electricity generation depleting, Azerbaijan has chosen the best way, which is to shift towards renewable energy resources for fulfilling the demands of electricity along with contributing to environmental security.
“The hallmark of Azerbaijan’s success resides under the dynamic policies adopted by President Ilham Aliyev. It is great to witness that Azerbaijan has not only liberated its regions from Armenia but also converted these regions into smart cities with the help of the country’s own economic/financial resources. At the same time, Azerbaijan’s economy has increased manifold, along with the supply of gas to Europe. A gradual increase in the supply ratio year-on-year will positively impact on the economy. I believe Azerbaijan has increased its global outreach under energy security and will further pursue the path of joint development and regional interconnectivity,” Akram concluded.
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