Caspian Energy (CE): In June last year, you were in Azerbaijan on an official visit. How important was the trip in helping cement ties between OPEC and Azerbaijan?
H.E. Haitham Al Ghais, Secretary General of OPEC: Azerbaijan has been a key part of the Declaration of Cooperation (DoC) over the last seven plus years, and my visit in June last year was an opportunity to review the excellent work of the DoC, which remains core to global oil market stabilization efforts. This formed a key part of the excellent talks I held with the President of Azerbaijan, His Excellency Ilham Aliyev, as well as the Minister of Energy, Parviz Shahbazov and the President of the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR), Rovshan Najaf.
It is important to recall that President Aliyev was one of the key voices in bringing together OPEC and non-OPEC back in 2016, and today, the country’s leading and responsible approach is a measure of its commitment to the DoC. All of this resonates with the historical role that Azerbaijan has played in the evolution of our industry, for which it is often referred to as ‘the cradle of the modern oil industry’.
The meetings were also an opportunity to discuss other key issues, including the investment challenges facing the industry and the need for energy security and reducing emissions to go hand-in-hand. In this regard, we offer our full support to Azerbaijan in its holding of COP29 later this year.
The visit to Baku further cemented the bonds of friendship and partnership between Azerbaijan and OPEC. I very much look forward to my next visit.
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