"The green transition and sustainable development are priorities for all of us," Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Azerbaijan Lu Mei said at the official opening ceremony of the 240 MW "Khizi-Absheron" Wind Power Plant, constructed by Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power.
Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Azerbaijan Lu Mei said:
- Your Excellency, Honorable President Ilham Aliyev,
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, good morning, salam.
It's a great pleasure to attend this official inauguration of the “Khizi-Absheron” Wind Power Plant project. This is a remarkable achievement and a shining example of successful collaboration and cooperation between China, Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia in the renewable energy sector. On behalf of the Chinese Embassy in Azerbaijan, I'd like to express my warm congratulations on this significant project, as well as my heartfelt gratitude to the government of Azerbaijan and all the friends who have supported this important project. And my gratitude also goes to the dedicated working teams from ACWA of Saudi Arabia, PowerChina who have worked tirelessly and overcome a lot of challenges and achieved the success together. The green transition and sustainable development are priorities for all of us. China and Azerbaijan have signed an MOU on cooperation on green and low carbon development. And China greatly appreciates Azerbaijan's successful hosting of COP29 and its ongoing commitment to advancing the green development. It also illustrates the significant role that Azerbaijan plays in the global green development.
China and Azerbaijan are good friends and partners. Fruitful cooperation across various fields over the years has given a strong boost to our respective development and revitalization and has brought tangible benefits to our peoples. President Aliyev visited China twice last year and signed with President Xi Jinping the joint statement on establishing comprehensive strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and China, opening a new historical chapter on China-Azerbaijan relations. Under the joint leadership of President Xi Jinping and President Aliyev, China-Azerbaijan comprehensive strategic partnership has been developing fast with political mutual trust enhancing and pragmatic cooperation reaching historically high levels. The scale of bilateral economic and trade cooperation continues to expand and investment cooperation includes areas of infrastructure, renewable energy, digital innovation, and automobile manufacturing, etc. Our high-quality Belt and Road cooperation is advancing. The China-Europe railway express through trans-Caspian corridor continues to accelerate its capacity this year, which is significant enhancing the connectivity of Azerbaijan and the region. As President Aliyev mentioned in his annual press interview, Chinese companies have been actively engaged in developing renewable energy in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan chose Chinese companies as strategic partners because of their professionalism, quality, and speed of execution of the project. This project is the largest wind power project in Azerbaijan and the Caucasus region. After operation, the project is expected to benefit over 300,000 households and reduce carbon emissions by 400,000 tons. It will effectively support sustainable development of Azerbaijan and the region.
Green development has always been a defining feature of Chinese modernization. As we start the first year of our 15th Five-Year Plan this year, China is committed to a path of high quality development that prioritize green development. China’s economy will continue to drive global growth and provide more stability and certainty to world economy. China's continuous breakthroughs in science and technology innovation will provide much needed new driving force for global economy. And most importantly, China's technology innovation is inclusive and open-sourced. So, we are willing to share the opportunity of China's development with all countries around the world, including Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia.
Last but not least, as this year, 2026 marks Chinese Year of Horse. And horse symbolize bravery and success in Chinese culture. I've seen Karabakh horses in Azerbaijan. And we have an old saying in China: "When the horse arrives, success comes." So I wish everyone a successful year in the Year of Horse.
Thank you.
