ECONOMY
Russian Energy Minister: Natig Aliyev was a real professional
Baku, June 12, AZERTAC
“Natig Aliyev was real professional,” Russian minister of energy Alexander Novak has told journalists as he visited the second Alley of Honors in Baku to pay tribute to Natig Aliyev, the late minister of energy of Azerbaijan.
In an interview with Azerbaijani reporters, Novak said that he was deeply shocked and saddened to hear of the death of “my friend and colleague Natig Aliyev”. “I have known him for many years as a skilled specialist, who loved his profession. Natig Aliyev was fully versed in all issues of energy, oil and gas, electricity, and he did a lot for the development of Azerbaijan's energy sector, cooperation between our countries. We worked together in the Electric Power Council of the Commonwealth of Independent States. I had a very good relationship with him. Of course, the loss of a great friend is a sad event for us," the Russian minister said.
Novak also spoke about the current level of cooperation between the two countries in the field of energy. "We highly appreciate our cooperation, we work together in the field of energy, development of relations with neighboring countries, including in the electric power industry and the creation of a single electric power belt with Azerbaijan and Iran,” he said.
Azerbaijani Energy Minister Natiq Aliyev died on June 9, several days after being transferred to the Florence Nightingale Clinic in Istanbul for treatment of a heart complaint.
The 69-year-old veteran executive in the energy sector of Azerbaijan served as president of the state energy company SOCAR and chaired the company's board of directors in 1993-2005.
He was the Minister of Industry and Energy in 2005-2013, and became the Energy Minister afterwards. He represented Azerbaijan in its negotiations with foreign companies over major energy contracts and took part in talks with OPEC members on global oil production cuts.
