BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 29. Energy Minister
Parviz Shahbazov received a delegation led by Saeed Bin Mubarak Al
Hajeri, Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the
United Arab Emirates and discussed strengthening cooperation in
energy, Trend reports
via the country's Ministry of Energy.
The meeting, held within the framework of the Comprehensive
Strategic Partnership between Azerbaijan and the UAE, focused on
the current state and prospects of cooperation in areas such as the
oil and gas sector, renewable energy, energy efficiency, regional
energy corridors, and logistics.
In addition, it was noted that the strategic bilateral relations
are based on a high level of political dialogue and the friendly
ties established between the heads of state. In particular, the
important role of joint projects in the energy sector, as well as
the activities of the Cooperation Committee within the framework of
the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two nations and
its subcommittee on energy, in the development of bilateral
cooperation was emphasized.
The meeting focused on the implementation of joint projects
involving energy companies from both countries, natural gas
exports, and opportunities for accessing European markets through
existing infrastructure, given the significant share of
hydrocarbons in the global energy mix and the importance of natural
gas as a transitional energy source. A 230-MW solar power plant was
cited as a successful example of cooperation in the field of
renewable energy. It was reported that work would continue with
Masdar on the implementation of solar and wind energy projects with
a capacity of 1,000 MW. At the same time, an initiative to create
an electricity corridor between Azerbaijan and the European Union
via the Black Sea, modeled after the Southern Gas Corridor, was
discussed. It was noted that this project will play an important
role in strengthening Europe’s energy security and energy
transition. In addition, information was provided on a joint
venture established to build an electricity interconnection between
Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. It was noted that the
project is currently in the feasibility study phase and is being
financed by the Asian Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure
Investment Bank. Opportunities for cooperation with the UAE in the
field of regional energy supply and logistics were discussed.
Moreover, the focus was on expanding cooperation in the field of
energy efficiency. In this context, an agreement was reached to
share the United Arab Emirates’ best practices regarding the energy
service company (ESCO) model and to develop new avenues of
cooperation in this area.
