Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 7
Trend:
Russian companies are active participants in projects being implemented in Azerbaijan’s oil and gas sector, including such major projects as Shah Deniz and the South Caucasus Pipeline, Shahin Mustafayev, the Azerbaijani economy minister, co-chair of the Intergovernmental State Commission for Economic Cooperation Affairs between Azerbaijan and Russia, said in an interview with the official Azerbaijani media outlets, Trend reports.
Along with other routes, Azerbaijan's oil is exported to world markets via the Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline as well, Mustafayev said.
“At the same time, energy systems of our countries operate in parallel mode and exchange electricity,” Mustafayev noted. “In 2018, more than 121 million kilowatt-hours of electricity was exported from Azerbaijan to Russia, and over 76 million kilowatt-hours of electricity was imported from Russia.”
Feasibility study is being prepared to create the North-South Azerbaijan-Russia-Iran energy corridor, the minister said, adding that this work serves to expand Azerbaijan-Russia cooperation in the energy sector.
“During the visit by the Azerbaijani president to Russia, the significance of the North-South, North-West international transport corridors and the importance of increasing the volume of transit traffic and cargo transportation were emphasized,” Mustafayev said.
“I would like to note that the volume of cargo transportation along both corridors is growing every year,” the minister noted. “In 2018, this indicator on the North-South international transport corridor grew 8 times, and in January-June 2019 - by 63 percent. Cargo transportation along the North-South corridor for January-June 2019 increased by more than 70 percent.”
“Construction of an automobile bridge on the Samur river continues, and it will be completed before the end of 2019. At the same time, the issue of synchronizing border checkpoint development projects is being discussed, and a special roadmap is being developed.”