ECONOMY
SWITZERLAND KEEN ON ENERGY COOPERATION WITH AZERBAIJAN
President of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) Rovnag Abdullayev met with Swiss delegation led by Walter Steinmann, Director of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy.
W. Steinmann said they were impressed with Azerbaijan’s economic growth, pointing to important role Switzerland is playing in energy supply of European Countries.
“We seek establishment of broader relations with such an important oil country as Azerbaijan,” he said.
Walter Steinmann wondered about gas production in Azerbaijan, in particular, the prospects of the Shahdeniz project.
SOCAR President Rovnag Abdullayev, for his part, stressed the role of such global projects as “Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli”, “Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan”, “Shahdeniz” and Southern-Caucasian Gas pipeline in the energy security of Europe. He let the guests know that several routes to deliver gas from Shahdeniz to Europe are now under consideration, and the final choice will depend on the terms and conditions offered.
Participating in the meeting, Director of the Swiss Company EGL Joakim Konrad, informed the SOCAR president on TransAdriatic gas line project worked out by his company, and invited Azerbaijan to join it. Rovnag Abdullayev replied that SOCAR specialists would study the project.
The parties also discussed a number of other issues of mutual concern.