Azerbaijan and Trkiye are discussing not only electricity generation but also the development of electricity interconnections aimed at linking a broader region and ultimately connecting Eurasia through the two countries, Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov said.
Speaking at a briefing following the signing ceremony of the 5th Azerbaijan-Trkiye Energy Forum in Baku, Shahbazov said the forum had successfully concluded with the participation of a large delegation representing Trkiye’s energy sector.
He described the relationship between Azerbaijan and Trkiye as one based on close brotherhood and strategic partnership, noting that political support from Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had further strengthened bilateral ties in recent years.
‘Under the Shusha Declaration, our relations have taken on the character of a strategic alliance,’ Shahbazov said.
According to the minister, energy cooperation between the two countries contributes not only to their own development but also to the wider region. He highlighted major joint projects, including the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline, the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) and the STAR refinery.
‘These major projects contribute not only to the prosperity of our two countries, but also to the wider region and participants in the global energy market,’ Shahbazov said.
He added that Azerbaijan-Trkiye energy cooperation has also made a significant contribution to the European Union’s energy security, with Azerbaijani energy resources reaching international markets through Trkiye.
‘This cooperation continues in both oil and gas. In recent years, we have already supplied gas to 16 countries, which itself is a good example of how intensively Azerbaijan-Trkiye relations have developed,’ the minister said.
Shahbazov stressed that the Energy Forum is focused not only on maintaining existing cooperation but also on identifying future opportunities and addressing emerging challenges.
‘We want to continue our successful cooperation in oil and gas in the direction of electrification as well. With the beginning of the new electricity era, the development of digitalisation and artificial intelligence will require large amounts of electricity. We have major plans in this area,’ he said.
‘We are discussing not only electricity generation, but also electricity interconnections. We want to connect a large region – Eurasia – through Azerbaijan and Trkiye.’
Shahbazov said the two countries are currently discussing several major electricity interconnection projects, including the planned link between Nakhchivan and Trkiye, the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Trkiye-Bulgaria electricity corridor, as well as new interconnections planned across the Black Sea.
‘These projects will make it possible to transmit both renewable electricity and electricity in general over long distances to regions that are of interest to us,’ he said.
The minister added that Azerbaijan is pursuing similar cooperation with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan as part of its efforts to strengthen electricity links with Central Asia.
‘All of these issues are being discussed in an integrated manner within the framework of the Energy Forum,’ Shahbazov said.