Azerbaijan’s Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov said deepening cooperation with Türkiye has created a “reliable and predictable” energy corridor linking the Caspian region to Europe, as he outlined plans for new electricity interconnections and transit routes through the South Caucasus.
Speaking at the ministerial session “Energy Security in a Shifting Global Landscape: Connectivity & Cooperation” during the second Istanbul Natural Resources Summit, Shahbazov said joint Azerbaijani–Turkish projects, including the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Southern Gas Corridor, have become “key pillars” of Eurasia’s energy architecture, Energy ministry writes.
Parviz Shahbazov said energy security in the 21st century is no longer defined solely by production volumes, but increasingly by supply stability, infrastructure connectivity and trusted partnerships, amid shifting geopolitical conditions and volatile global energy markets.
He highlighted plans for a regional electricity interconnector involving Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye and Bulgaria, as well as a proposed new electricity link through Zangezur that would carry Caspian energy resources to Türkiye via Nakhchivan and Armenia. The initiative, he said, would further strengthen Türkiye’s position as a regional energy hub.
The minister also pointed to wider Eurasian connectivity ambitions, referencing potential links between China and Europe via Central Asia, Azerbaijan and Türkiye, alongside Uzbekistan’s energy initiatives with China.
Shahbazov said rising electricity demand driven by electromobility, artificial intelligence, data centres and broader electrification is reshaping global energy priorities, arguing that access, reliability and cooperation are now more critical than securing the lowest-cost supply.
Türkiye’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar also attended the session, alongside counterparts from Georgia, Moldova, Libya, Somalia, Nigeria and Sudan.
By Aghakazim Guliyev
