BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug.24
Trend:
Azerbaijan fully ensures its own and regional energy security, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Science and Education Bakhtiyar Aliyev told Trend.
Aliyev stressed that after Azerbaijan gained independence, as a result of the aggression of Armenia and the foreign forces supporting it, the country's powerful economic potential, began to collapse.
"The [previous] leaders of Azerbaijan who ruled during the period from 1988 until the adoption of the Act of Independence in 1991, as well as from 1991 to July 1993, dragged the country into chaos and poverty, putting it on the brink of destruction,” the chairman said. “By showing political will, giving preference to the decisive demands of the people , Heydar Aliyev returned to political power and ensured the country's transition from anarchy to stability, and then to the stage of growth and development.”
According to him, the "Contract of the Century", signed in 1994, played the role of a guarantor of Azerbaijan's independence, social well-being, security and development.
“Namely on its basis the reconstruction of the energy infrastructure of Azerbaijan began. We remember well that in the 1990s, electricity was supplied in the country with frequent breaks. In some places, power outages lasted several days,” he reminded. “Owing to the far-sighted policy of the national leader Heydar Aliyev, the energy system of Azerbaijan was created with the aim of meeting the country's needs for electricity from local resources.”
“Since 2003, as a result of the successful and large-scale strategy of President Ilham Aliyev, energy security in Azerbaijan has been fully ensured and the country has turned from an energy importer into an exporter," he also said.
As Aliyev pointed out, currently Azerbaijan can export energy to neighboring countries - Russia, Iran and Georgia, as well as through Georgia to Turkey and from there to the European market.
“At present, the total generating capacity of the Azerbaijani energy system is about 7,000 megawatts. Half of them has been created over the past 17 years. In 2015, the decree of President Ilham Aliyev started to a new stage of reforms in the field of energy security began," he noted.
“With the establishment of Azerishig OJSC by the order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated February 10, 2015, the scope of these reforms covered the entire country,” he said. “Today, one of the main factors in ensuring the rapid development of our economy is the creation of a powerful energy infrastructure and its continuity of operation.” “Azerbaijan is a country with strong potential not only in the post-Soviet space, but also in Eastern Europe. Along with the uninterrupted supply of electricity to the population in Azerbaijan, the creation of new sectors of the economy, high-tech industrial enterprises and, as a result, reliable employment of the population is ensured,” Aliyev added.
“We believe that the reforms successfully carried out in Azerbaijan will fully strengthen our state, ensure sustainable and long-term economic development and a high standard of living," concluded the chairman.
