Baku hosts meeting of Eastern Partnership countries’ energy ministers
Azerbaijani energy minister Natig Aliyev greeted the participants and informed on the large-scale economic projects and energy reforms in the country.
EU Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger, for his part, spoke of the affect of the recent political developments to the energy issues.
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia has intensified the efforts of the EU towards energy security of its supplies, Oettinger said.
He stressed the events happening in particular, in Ukraine, in the Middle East, and other regions have direct impact on the neighboring countries.
"With regard to the current Ukrainian crisis, the Eastern Partnership and notably, our cooperation on energy security can help to guarantee security in the region," Oettinger stressed.
The commissioner expressed confidence that successful collaboration between the partners in the energy sector can help and provide security and stability.
"In the context of our Eastern Partnership, we have good advantages. Several programs and projects are ongoing. We can make good further efforts together."
Addressing the event, European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule said the energy security is a key strategic objective for the Eastern Partnership.
"The form of eastern partnership is for us (EU) the best possible tool how we in the EU can focus on real needs of members of the Eastern Partners and also needs of the region," he said.
Fule further expressed hope that the countries will be able to focus on the cheapest and the cleanest form of energy - energy efficiency.
In the course of discussions, Azerbaijan's Energy Minister Natig Aliyev also drew attention to the recent events taking place in North Africa and Ukraine.
He said the developments taking place in Eurasia cause changes in the world's energy map.
Aliyev noted the importance of expanding the cooperation and working on the diversification of the energy supply routes with a view to strengthen the energy security.
The energy minister went on to add that by late 2014, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey will sign an agreement on electricity transmission under the Energy Bridge project.
He underscored that the intense work under the project for the export of electricity through the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey route is underway.
Aliyev further stressed that Azerbaijan has fully ensured its energy independence. Additionally, the country has diversified the routes for the electricity supply with three oil and four gas pipelines, he added.
President of SOCAR Rovnag Abdullayev, Georgian Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze, the minister of energy and coal industry of Ukraine Yuri Prodan, the Minister of Economy of Moldova Adrian Candu, the Deputy Minister of Energy of the Republic of Belarus Vadim Zakrevski and other officials took part at the discussions. .
The EU program on "Eastern Partnership" was adopted on the initiative of Poland and Sweden and approved at the EU summit in Brussels in 2008.
The goal of the Eastern Partnership program is the rapprochement between the EU and Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Armenia, Moldova, Georgia, Belarus.
The program envisages significant increase in the level of political interaction, large integration of former Soviet republics into EU economy, increasing the volume of financial aid to them and strengthening the energy security.
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