Azerbaijan plays an important role in energy and transport connectivity between Central Asia and Europe, Deputy Minister of Energy Orkhan Zeynalov said during the panel discussion titled “Middle Corridor: Unlocking Trade, Industry and Connectivity Potential” held as part of the Second Azerbaijan International Investment Forum, APA reports.
He said that significant changes are taking place in global and regional economic relations and that Azerbaijan could play the role of a bridge between Central Asia and Europe in this process.
“We can consider all energy connectivity projects, regional and cross-border energy transmission initiatives, as well as our partnership with Central Asian states, within a single framework,” the deputy minister said.
He emphasized that Azerbaijan is implementing important projects aimed at strengthening connectivity between Central Asia and the country: “For example, we are building a bridge between Central Asia and Azerbaijan. This is the Trans-Caspian logistics corridor. This corridor can also be connected to Central Asia's energy system,” he said.
The deputy minister noted that Azerbaijan is currently implementing a number of other initiatives aimed at developing energy and transport connectivity.
“All these initiatives are mainly focused on connectivity. This means that they do not compete with each other; on the contrary, they complement one another,” Orkhan Zeynalov emphasized.
The deputy minister also touched upon the importance of the Middle Corridor. According to him, connections extending from Central Asia to Azerbaijan and then to Europe via the Black Sea create new opportunities for regional economic cooperation.
“As was also shown in the presentation by the Foreign Minister, I would particularly like to highlight the importance of the Middle Corridor. The importance of the Middle Corridor is growing increasingly,” Orkhan Zeynalov said.
He added that while Azerbaijan continues to invest in the traditional energy sector, it also pays special attention to the development of green energy and energy corridors.
“We are also investing in green corridors without compromising energy security. We plan to create 8 gigawatts of green energy generation capacity over the next six years. This energy will contribute to the development of all corridor projects,” Orkhan Zeynalov said.
The deputy minister noted that, alongside energy projects, Azerbaijan is also expanding cooperation with international companies in the fields of digital infrastructure and technology.
“We also maintain close ties with major technology companies and US companies,” Orkhan Zeynalov added.
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