Azerbaijan's energy policy based on peace and cooperation

By Mazahir Afandiyev

Following its early 1990s independence and international recognition, Azerbaijan pursued transparent management and distribution of its natural resources in order to safeguard the interests of all parties involved, including governmental interests. During the initial years of its independence, Azerbaijan endeavoured to establish democratic statehood customs and governance methods grounded in multicultural principles.

The nation's leader, Heydar Aliyev, led the signing of the Contract of the Century in 1994 as a consequence of his persistent efforts, which at the time guaranteed the interests of all parties in the continued development of the world and the region and has preserved its stability to this day. The Contract of the Century's implementation gave the Azerbaijani state more international legitimacy and authority, in addition to making it a trustworthy ally. One of the main pillars of our independence, the oil accord, also served as a significant source of funding for the expansion of our economy and the Second Garabagh-Patriotic War victory.

President Ilham Aliyev views energy policy as the primary tool to protect Azerbaijan's integrity, stability in the region, and safe, sustainable growth. He has made energy policy a priority in the country's multi-vector foreign policy. In addition to implementing several large-scale projects to connect the North-South and West-East logistics corridors over the past 20 years, our nation has remained dedicated to an energy strategy based on fresh obstacles during a time when the political landscape of the world has changed. All of this heightens the interest that the European Union and its member states have in Azerbaijan.

These days, Azerbaijan is successfully managing its oil contracts and growing its gas output quantities annually. Meanwhile, identifying alternative energy sources, which is one of the challenges of the fourth industrial revolution, enriching the green agenda, and being an integral part of Azerbaijan's energy policy, plays an important role in the development and implementation of future projects.

Our nation has come a long way in the last few years in providing natural energy to other nations. The nation helped to diversify the TAP and TANAP gas pipelines, which have a length of over 3,500 kilometres and traverse over 20 nations as well as over 40 foreign businesses. This allowed for the production of gas to be supplied to the European market.

Because of its involvement in the Southern Gas Corridor project, Azerbaijan, which has shown the entire world that it is a trustworthy partner, is currently creating a new chapter in its spectacular history. “Our word means the same as our signature. All the plans, which we've put in front of ourselves, I'm sure, will be implemented,” President Ilham Aliyev noted during his speech at the 10th Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council Ministerial Meeting and the 2nd Green Energy Advisory Council Ministerial Meeting held on March 1, 2024, in Baku.

Our nation has shown positive leadership in the development of alternative energy sources and the global solution of environmental issues through the hosting of the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council's anniversary meeting and the Green Energy Advisory Council's second ministerial meeting.

In addition to its natural gas and oil resources, Azerbaijan will start utilising alternative wind and solar energy as soon as possible based on agreements reached. This will open up more chances to save natural resources, decarbonise the economy, and stop pollution in the environment overall, as stipulated in the Paris Climate Agreement.

As a result, the three-year-old Southern Gas Corridor project is not only one of Eurasia's biggest infrastructure undertakings, but it also advances global peace and stability as well as the political, cultural, and economic links between the peoples of the states bordering the pipeline.

The fact that Azerbaijan is hosting COP29 this year with the unanimous consent of all states around the globe is not a coincidence. This demonstrates unequivocally the importance that our nation places on global energy initiatives as well as energy policy in general.

Mazahir Afandiyev is the Member of the Milli Majlis (the Azerbaijani Parliament).