10th Annual conference "East meets West: New frontiers of energy security" in Istanbul - AZƏRTAC (26.06.2007)

The 10th annual conference on the topic ‘East Meets West: New Frontiers of Energy Security' took place June 26 at Ceylan InterContinental Hotel in Istanbul.

The conference was attended by Presidents Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, Ahmet Necdet Sezer of Turkey, Viktor Yuschenko of Ukraine, Mikhail Saakashvili of Georgia, representatives of the USA, UK, Germany as well as of the European Union, OPEC and other international organizations.

The first gathering in 1997, which mainly dealt with issues of energy security in the South Caucasus, was initiated by then Vice-President of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev who was the major rapporteur of the Conference.

Opening the event Daniel Yergin, Chairman of the Cambridge Energy Research Associates greeted the heads of state, pointed out that energy security problem is currently a focus of the global attention, and marks the beginning of a new stage of economic cooperation.

In the opening of the Conference Tekfen band uniting musicians from 23 countries in Black Sea basin performed music.

Nihat Gokyigit, Chairman of Tekfen Holding and Honorary Member of DEIK, Rifat Hisarciklioglu, President of Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey, President of DEIK, Hilmi Guler, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of the Republic of Turkey and Mohamed Bin Dhaen Al Hamli, Minister of Energy of the United Arab Emirates and President of the OPEC Conference qualified the start-up of the large pipelines delivering energy resources to the European markets as the result of international cooperation, and great help in integration between East and West. They set providing the Europe with fuel through Black Sea as a main task of the cooperation, and called for expansion of both political and economic partnership. It was noted that while amount of oil carrying through Bosporus Strait currently makes 60 million tons per year, by 2010 this figure will reach 200 million tons. New projects will be implemented in the Black Sea ports. One of those ports, Ceyhan was given the name of Heydar Aliyev for his historical services in turning the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan project into reality. The 193rd tanker will be loaded with oil by the end of this month.

It was announced that the Shah Deniz project had already finished, and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline will be put into operation next month. From Turkey Azerbaijani gas will reach Greece and then Italy on August 10. Thanks to realization of the Nabucco project, the natural gas will be supplied to Romania, Hungary and Austria.

Presidents Viktor Yuschenko of Ukraine and Mikhail Saakashvili of Georgia spoke of new oil and gas pipelines and related security issues, noted they will join the new general projects, emphasized Turkey will realize the energy terminal and corridors programme with friendly countries.

They highly valued the role of Azerbaijan in ensuring energy security of Europe. President Saakashvili thanked his counterpart Ilham Aliyev for helping Georgia when the country was in trouble.

They noted the necessity for more active work for implementation of new economic conditions, preference to international and regional cooperation.

President of Azerbaijan ILHAM ALIYEV addressed the Conference. He spoke of the country's oil strategy founded by national leader Heydar Aliyev. He said Azerbaijan began to play an important role in ensuring European energy security. Talking of problems Azerbaijan faced in first years of independence and socio-economic projects performed later the President said prestige of the country increased despite many pressures, duties set are successfully implemented. He pointed to effective investment climate created in Azerbaijan, and fruitful cooperation the country has established with foreign companies.

Valuing cooperation of Azerbaijan and Georgia as a sample Azeri President said his country that has giant energy resources lifts oil production. ‘3 pipelines operate now in different directions and we support diversification of supply routes' he said.

He advised that the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline will be working at full capacity next year, and that the Odessa-Brody-Gdansk pipeline is on the agenda, as well. The Azerbaijani leader also stressed the importance of the Shah Deniz project in providing natural gas to the European markets. ‘Preferring too export we will meet needs of Europe and our partners' he noted.

He let the audience know that Azerbaijan had signed a memorandum of understanding on energy partnership with European Union, joined the extracting industries' transparency initiatives, and won the UN's award for transparency.

The President noted that a special attention is also paid to development of non-oil sector in the country.

President of Azerbaijan mentioned ‘We are loyal to our policy, we also prefer too cooperation between Caspian-Black Sea-Baltic Sea. Every task can be coped with if there is strong partner, loyalty, will and courage.'

President of Turkey Ahmet Necdet Sezer stressed that international cooperation could allow nations to achieve real prosperity, linked development of modern economy to energy resources. ‘Transit countries bear big responsibility for safe transportation of energy resources to European markets. There is necessity for alternative energy sources, diversification of pipelines.' he added.

He cited the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan project as a good example of the international cooperation, noted ‘Transit of oil and gas pipelines through Turkey will reduce tension in Bosporus and make Ceyhan important port'.

BAKU. 26.06.2007. AzerTAg.