Minister of Energy spoke about Azerbaijan's contribution to the Belt and Road Initiative

Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov made a speech at the high-level event on connectivity within the third Belt and Road International Cooperation Forum in China.

In his speech, the minister said that Belt and Road today serves the development, security and stability across a vast geography by providing alternative transport corridors to meet global supply chain challenges, and routes that diversify the delivery of energy resources to world markets. It was noted that Belt and Road has already proven to be a wise initiative with its growing role in reshaping the geo-economic landscape in Eurasia. it is worth noting that actively joining this initiative from the beginning and contributing to it with numerous transport-energy connections, Azerbaijan is currently implementing a major strategic development path under the leadership of President Mr. Ilham Aliyev, strengthening the Middle Corridor -the shortest route from China to Europe. In this regard, the volume of cargo transported by the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is being increased from 1 million ton to 5 million tons, while the capacity of the Baku Commercial Port is being increased from the current 15 million tons to 25 million tons, and the "Digital Silk Road" project is being implemented: "The strategy led by the President of Azerbaijan regarding sustainable peace and security in the South Caucasus paves the way for the development of new branches of the Middle Corridor with the creation of transport infrastructures in the liberated territories, and in the future, with the Zangezur energy-transport corridor. All of these, as well as Azerbaijan's 6 oil and gas pipelines, connecting continents and seas such as the Southern Gas Corridor, are the real examples of the critical potential that Azerbaijan could bring to bear vis-a-vis China's mega projects. The creation of 7 GW of green energy power by 2030 and the export of 5 GW of it through the Caspian-European Union and Azerbaijan-Türkiye-Europe corridors, as well as the plans to transfer electricity from Central Asia to our country and from there to Europe, will enrich the Belt and Road with green connections."

The role of friendly relations of the heads of state in the development of bilateral cooperation, joint projects and dynamics of relations were also mentioned in the speech. It was noted that the trade turnover between our countries increased by 21%, while the volume of transit from China to the west and vice versa through Azerbaijan has increased by 60%, and more than 200 Chinese companies operate in Azerbaijan.

It should be highlighted that Azerbaijan also joined the Beijing Initiative on Deepening Cooperation on Connectivity adopted at the Forum.