Azerbaijan participates in second international Black Sea forum in Türkiye

Azerbaijan is actively participating in the Second International Black Sea Forum, which opened on January 14 in Rize, Türkiye, bringing together national and international experts to discuss energy security and regional cooperation.

The Azerbaijani delegation includes Milli Majlis deputies Tahir Mirqishili and Sadig Gurbanov, Professor Zahid Farrukh Mammadov, Director of the Department of Organisation and Management of Scientific Activity at Azerbaijan State Economic University (UNEC), as well as members of the Azerbaijani media, Caliber.Az reports per local media. 

The forum, organised in cooperation with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, the Rize governorate and municipality, and supported by the Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, runs until January 17 under the theme “Energy, Global Security and Diplomacy.” Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar is attending the event.

Participants are addressing issues including energy security, regional and global competition in the energy sector, sustainable development, energy diplomacy, and prospects for strategic cooperation in the Black Sea-Eurasian region. The event brings together government officials, civil society representatives, scientists, and private sector actors to promote the region’s potential on the global stage.

Rize Governor İhsan Selim Baydaş noted that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has set a goal of turning Ayder into a centre for global, national, and international discussions. He explained that the plan to transform and preserve Ayder is part of this vision, adding that this year’s forum focuses on energy, following last year’s forum which centred on logistics and international transport.

The first International Ayder Forum was held on September 28, 2024, and is considered one of the most significant economic, social, and cultural events in the Black Sea region.

By Sabina Mammadli