Istanbul: Azerbaijan has supplied 366 million cubic meters of gas to Syria to date, as announced by the country’s Energy Minister, Parviz Shahbazov. Speaking at the 5th meeting of the Energy Ministers of the Organization of Turkic States held in Istanbul, Shahbazov emphasized the significant achievements in energy cooperation among the Turkic states.

According to Azeri-Press news agency, Azerbaijan’s trade turnover with the member and observer countries of the Organization of Turkic States exceeded 7.3 billion dollars last year. Shahbazov noted that the energy sector accounts for 70-80% of a mutual investment portfolio that exceeds 20 billion dollars. This reflects the substantial role energy plays in the economic interactions within the region.

The minister highlighted that nearly 53 million tons of Azerbaijani, Kazakh, and Turkmen oil were delivered to global markets via the BTC pipeline over the last year and the first 11 months of this year. Additionally, Trkiye received 18.7 billion cubic meters of gas, while European countries were supplied with 24.6 billion cubic meters through Trkiye. The developments, such as the commissioning of the Igdir-Nakhchivan gas pipeline and TPAO’s involvement in the Shafag-Asiman project, mark a new phase of energy cooperation among the Turkic states.

In discussing regional projects, Shahbazov emphasized Azerbaijan’s energy policy, particularly in transmitting the renewable energy potential of Azerbaijan, the Caspian Sea, and Central Asia to Turkish and European markets through diversified routes. This aligns with the ‘Turkic Green Vision’ and the ‘Gabala Declaration’. Projects such as the ‘Trans-Caspian’, ‘Azerbaijan-Trkiye-Europe’, ‘Azerbaijan-Georgia-Trkiye-Bulgaria’, and ‘Caspian-Black Sea-Europe’ green energy corridors and interconnector projects aim to strengthen unity among the Turkic states through energy cooperation.

Furthermore, Shahbazov mentioned the ‘Central Asia-Azerbaijan Green Energy Corridor’, which will connect the electricity systems of the countries for the first time in history. The Zangezur Corridor will facilitate the delivery of this energy flow to Trkiye, creating a ‘Central Asia-Azerbaijan-Trkiye’ energy bridge. These initiatives underscore the strategic importance of energy cooperation in enhancing regional ties and economic development.