Baku, January 13, AZERTAC

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received a delegation led by Minister of Energy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman al-Saud.

According to AZERTAC, welcoming the guests, President Ilham Aliyev said:

- Dear Minister, welcome again! I am very delighted that you have found time to come and take part in this event, which is important for our country, for our partnership and fraternal relations. I would like to ask you once again to convey my best greetings to His Majesty the King and His Majesty the Crown Prince.

I remember my meetings with the leaders of your country and the great hospitality shown to me during my numerous visits to brotherly Saudi Arabia. As I mentioned in my speech, I would like to express my gratitude for Saudi Arabia’s continued support for Azerbaijan during the years of occupation. We really appreciate it and consider it an indicator of true brotherhood, solidarity and true support. Of course, our joint efforts to restore justice in connection with the occupation of our lands in international organizations, the UN and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation are highly appreciated by the people of Azerbaijan. The liberation of our lands from occupation is now a new opportunity for the country, a huge geopolitical change in the region. Our victory in the second Karabakh war opens up new opportunities for regional cooperation, including electricity generation, especially in the field of renewable energy. I have already talked about our plans and potential. I think that we can already look to the future while implementing this important infrastructure project and consider how to coordinate our efforts to the maximum and making the best use of our huge potential. I am very glad that you have close contacts with our minister. He regularly informs me about your contacts in the OPEC+ format and in the field of bilateral relations.

I appreciate that we have achieved our goal of attracting investors, and I am personally pleased that this investor is one of the world's leading companies in this field and represents a brotherly country. This is very important for us and for our future cooperation. I am sure you will have more time to visit us. As you mentioned, this is your first visit to Azerbaijan. I do hope we will see you more. Welcome again.

The Minister of Energy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman al-Saud said he was pleased with his visit to Azerbaijan. The minister stressed that he and his delegation were working hard in Baku and that mutual cooperation would be further expanded. Abdulaziz bin Salman al-Saud expressed hope that a draft cooperation agreement would be presented in the near future.

Noting the successful development of relations, the Minister of Energy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stressed the importance of the groundbreaking ceremony of the “Khizi-Absheron” Wind Power Plant and noted with satisfaction that the views on efficiency, renewable energy and other aspects coincide.