Azerbaijan, BSEC explore pathways for expanding "green energy corridor" linking Caspian, Black Sea and Europe

Azerbaijan has held discussions with the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) regarding renewable energy projects being implemented in the country and "green energy corridor" connecting Caspian Sea, Black Sea, and Europe.

The talks took place during a meeting between Azerbaijan’s Energy Minister, Parviz Shahbazov, and the BSEC Secretary-General, Lazar Comanescu, Caliber.Az reports, citing Ministry of Energy.

The discussions centred around energy issues within the context of Azerbaijan's chairmanship of the organization, as well as the country’s role in ensuring energy security and its contribution to the global energy transition. 

Plans to hold a meeting of the BSEC Energy Working Group in the coming months, along with the prospects for the energy sector, were also on the agenda.

Note that Azerbaijan's chairmanship of BSEC runs from January 1 to June 30, 2025.

To recap, BSEC was established as a significant multilateral political and economic initiative with the signing of the Istanbul Summit Declaration and the Bosphorus Statement on 25 June 1992. Following the entry into force of its Charter on May 1, 1999, BSEC gained international legal status and evolved into the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation.

The organization aims to enhance cooperation and foster stability, peace, and prosperity among its 13 member states: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, North Macedonia, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Türkiye, and Ukraine. BSEC also works to promote friendly and harmonious relations across the region.

The BSEC Permanent International Secretariat (BSEC PERMIS) was established in Istanbul in March 1994. The organization’s fields of cooperation are broad, including agriculture, banking and finance, combating organized crime, energy, environmental protection, healthcare, information and communication technologies, science and technology, tourism, and more.

The BSEC region spans approximately 20 million square kilometres, covering both the Balkans and the Caucasus. With a population exceeding 350 million, the region generated a trade turnover of nearly $2 trillion in 2023, with intra-BSEC trade accounting for around $320 billion. 

By Aghakazim Guliyev