Official: Azerbaijan's presence on European energy map very important

Azerbaijan's presence on the energy map of the region and Europe is very important, BP Foreign Relations and Communications Vice President Bakhtiyar Aslanbeyli said.

He made the remarks during the panel "Heydar Aliyev and energy strategy" dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of great leader Heydar Aliyev, Report informs.

According to Aslanbeyli, the cornerstone of Azerbaijan’s current oil and gas strategy is the "Contract of the Century."

"At that time, many countries, including Russia, Turkmenistan, etc., claimed the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli oil fields. Investors had to be sure that the funds invested in this project would not be lost. They needed guarantees and Heydar Aliyev provided them", he said.

Aslanbeyli emphasized that it was the first contract of such type in the post-Soviet space signed with foreign companies.

The BP vice president noted that Heydar Aliyev's policy was to unite all companies to achieve common interests.

"The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline is also a very ambitious project. But at the initial stage, it was unfavourable from the commercial point of view. However, the leadership and coordination of the three countries - Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye - created conditions for the implementation of the project, through which Azerbaijani oil could be delivered to international markets," he added.