BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 19. An 8 gigawatt
renewable energy project is underway in Azerbaijan, 2 gigawatts of
which will be connected to the system next year, Minister of Energy
Parviz Shahbazov said at an event "Cities at the heart of
connectivity: Urban reconstruction and regional cooperation" within
the framework of WUF13 in Baku, Trend reports.


"This process means not only an increase in energy production,
but also a new industrial transformation and an annual reduction of
about 2.4 million tons of emissions," the minister said.


According to Shahbazov, power lines, transport corridors,
fiber-optic networks and electrical interconnectors are becoming
new "arteries" of the global system, and the 21st century is
already characterized as the "century of connectivity."


The minister noted that connectivity today means not only
infrastructure and trade, but also sustainability, stability and
regional cooperation. According to him, Azerbaijan, located at the
crossroads of East and West, North and South, is becoming one of
the main connectivity centers of Eurasia.


The third day of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum
(WUF13) is underway in Baku.







On the first day, a ministerial meeting dedicated to the New
Urban Agenda, a roundtable of ministers, assemblies of women and
civil society, business sessions, and discussions on urban
well-being were held. A ceremony for raising the flags of the
United Nations and Azerbaijan also took place within the framework
of the forum.


The second day of the forum drew attention with the first-ever
Leaders Summit. High-level discussions on the global housing
crisis, urbanization policy, and urban resilience were held that
day. At the same time, the Mexico City pavilion was inaugurated
within the framework of WUF13. The pavilion was presented as an
important platform for expanding cooperation with the Latin
American region and preparing for WUF14.


WUF13, which has attracted more than 40,000 registered
participants from 182 countries, will continue until May 22. Held
under the theme “Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and
communities,” the forum brings together governments, international
organizations, experts, and representatives of civil society to
strengthen global cooperation in the field of sustainable urban
development.