Minister: Romania, Azerbaijan to create "green" corridor connecting Central Asia to Europe

Romanian Energy Minister Sebastian-Ioan Burduja has said that Romania, together with Azerbaijan, will establish a "green" corridor connecting Central Asia to Europe.

“We are ready to respond to this call: Romania, together with Azerbaijan, Georgia, Hungary, and now Bulgaria, and possibly Moldova, will form this green corridor, linking Central Asia to Europe and serving as an energy bridge,” Burduja said at the ministerial meeting on energy initiatives during COP29, Caliber.Az reports.

The Romanian minister also expressed hope that this initiative will serve as an example to other continents and countries, encouraging them to increasingly connect with each other, as it will truly provide more reliable, affordable, and environmentally clean energy.

He also emphasised the need for urgent action, as hundreds of millions of people around the world still lack access to electricity.

"The infrastructure investment needs are measured in trillions, and we must mobilise like never before. We don't have enough time. We need the readiness to act and turn these promising ideas into projects, wires, and new megawatts in our system for our people. That is not an easy task," the minister stressed. 

COP29, being held from November 11 to 22 at Baku Stadium, represents Azerbaijan's largest and most significant international event to date, marking the first time the country has hosted a COP summit. The event began with the signing of a Host Country Agreement and other important documents between the Azerbaijani government and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat. A central focus of COP29 is the establishment of a fair and ambitious New Collective Quantitative Goal (NCQG) for climate finance. In line with this, the presidency of COP29 has introduced 14 key initiatives that link climate action to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

These initiatives cover areas such as green energy corridors, energy storage, climate resilience, clean hydrogen, methane reduction from organic waste, and the development of green digital technologies. One of the flagship proposals is the creation of a Climate Finance Action Fund, aimed at supporting the critical goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C. Throughout COP29, Azerbaijan has demonstrated its commitment to climate action and environmental protection.

The unanimous decision to elect Azerbaijan as the host for this summit underscores the global community’s trust in the country’s leadership on climate issues. In his opening remarks, President Ilham Aliyev emphasized Azerbaijan’s pivotal role in global climate efforts, underscoring the country’s dedication to mitigating climate change and advancing sustainable development.

By Naila Huseynova