The 5th Meeting of the Ministers in Charge of Energy of the Organization of Turkic States was held in Istanbul, Türkiye. Speaking at the meeting, Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov emphasized that the unshakable Azerbaijani - Turkish Union and strategic alliance are reflected in our relations with other Turkic States and leads to the formation of the Turkic World family. The Minister noted that the strategic vision and decisive policies of the heads of states have increased the authority and regional role of the Organization of Turkic States, and the organization has already become a geopolitical center and an important actor in the global arena. It was noted that the period of Azerbaijan's chairmanship of the organization is characterized by a comprehensive strengthening of strategic relations with Turkic states in accordance with President Ilham Aliyev's call - 21st century should be the century of development of the Turkic world. Azerbaijan's accession to the Central Asian cooperation format, which serves as a bridge between Türkiye and Central Asia, and the steps taken to open the Zangazur Corridor, which completes the North-South route through the Middle Corridor, will further strengthen the unity between the Turkic States.
It was noted that the trade turnover of Azerbaijan with member and observer countries exceeded $ 7.3 billion last year, and the energy sector accounted for 70-80 percent of the mutual investment portfolio of more than $ 20 billion. Last year and 11 months of this year, about 53 million tons of Azerbaijani, Kazakh and Turkmen oil were exported to world markets through BTC, Türkiye supplied 18.7 billion cubic meters of gas, and European countries supplied 24.6 bcm of gas through Türkiye. Commissioning of the Igdir-Nakhchivan gas pipeline, TPAO's accession to the Shafag-Asiman project, supply of 366 million cubic meters of gas to Syria, as well as the launch of the exploration project in Uzbekistan were assessed as achievements of energy cooperation between the Turkic states at a new stage.
In the context of regional projects, it was emphasized that the energy policy of transporting the renewable energy potential of Azerbaijan, including the Caspian Sea and Central Asia via diversified routes to Türkiye and European markets coincides with the priorities of the Turkish Green Vision and the Gabala Declaration. "Trans-Caspian, Azerbaijan-Türkiye-Europe, Azerbaijan-Georgia-Türkiye-Bulgaria, as well as the Caspian-Black Sea-Europe green energy corridor and interconnector projects serve to strengthen the unity of the Turkic states through energy. The Central Asia-Azerbaijan Green Energy Corridor will create the Central Asia-Azerbaijan-Türkiye energy bridge, ensuring the connection of the electric power systems of our countries for the first time in history, and the Zangazur Corridor will deliver this energy flow to Türkiye" the Minister added.
Support for Türkiye’s hosting of COP31 was also expressed in the speech.
At the meeting, the initiatives put forward within the organization were discussed, and the creation of the Regional Center for Technologies and Green Initiatives and the Expert Council on Energy Efficiency was agreed. It was decided to hold the next Ministerial Meeting in Uzbekistan.
