Meeting with President of SOCAR
On 18th January 2021, Secretary General of the Turkic Council Baghdad Amreyev met with the President of State Oil Company (SOCAR) Mr. Rovnag Abdullayev.
SOCAR President Rovnag Abdullayev expressed his appreciation to the Turkic Council for the support of Azerbaijan during in the just war. Underlining the leading role of the Turkic Council in the region, R.Abdullayev stressed the importance of economic cooperation in strengthening the unity between the Turkic-speaking countries.
Secretary General stressed that Azerbaijan, which holds a current chairmanship of the Turkic Council, plays an important role in the work of organization and that the President Ilham Aliyev is a very popular figure among the Turkic-speaking peoples.
In addition, Secretary General informed that during the special meeting of the Turkic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI) organized on November 2, 2020 in Baku, Turkic business communities expressed their readiness to actively participate in restoration process of Karabakh.
B.Amreyev briefed SOCAR President about recent activities and latest achievements of the Turkic Council. Highlighting the significance of economic potential of the Member States, Secretary General stated that economic cooperation under the umbrella of the Turkic Council has been enhanced considerably, an important number of achievements have been made in the fight against the pandemic.
He underscored that Turkic Council is also planning to establish cooperation in the field of energy among its members where there is a good potential for collaboration, particularly for production and delivery of petroleum oil and natural gas, lubricant products and services in the region.
R.Abdullayev noted that currently SOCAR's operations form the basis of economic cooperation between Turkey and Azerbaijan that was laid by the new oil strategy of the great leader Heydar Aliyev.
Touching upon the cooperation of SOCAR with other Turkic-speaking countries, SOCAR President said that “Kazmunaygaz” company of Kazakhstan was participated in deep-sea drilling works in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea and the cooperation with Turkmenistan in the field of oil and gas trade is expanding. Also, a tripartite cooperation agreement has been signed with “Uzbekneftegaz” to expand exploration work and Hungarian company “MOL” holds a share in development of the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli gas field and the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline.
R.Abdullayev mentioned that over the past 15 years, SOCAR has transformed from a local company to a global company and expanded the geography of economic cooperation on the instructions of President Ilham Aliyev.
Parties shared their views on necessity for the strengthening cooperation and implementation of joint projects among the Turkic-speaking countries in the field of energy.
Deputy Secretary General of the Turkic Council, Mr. Gismet Gozalov, Executive Vice President of AFFA, Mr. Elkhan Mammadov and Project directors of the Turkic Council Mr. Farrukh Jumayev and Mr.Bobur Tagayev also attended the meeting.
Meeting with Minister of Energy
At the meeting in the Ministry of Energy on 19th January 2021, Energy Minister P.Shahbazov highly appreciated the continues support of the Turkic Council for Azerbaijan's legitimate position based on international law and justice, and thanked the Secretary General for the international support to the justice war, especially during the 44-days Patriotic War.
Minister emphasized active role of organization in establishing close cooperation in a broad range of the areas. He underlined that Azerbaijan has brotherly relations with all Member States of the organization in every platform and the President of Azerbaijan attaches great interest to Turkic Council.
Secretary General Baghdad Amreyev reiterated his support to Azerbaijan`s legitimate position and expressed his views on the restoration of the liberated territories together with the related Turkic Cooperation Organizations.
Secretary General briefed Minister P.Shahbazov about the organization's activities, particularly in the economic sphere and the willingness of the business communities of the Member States to actively participate in the restoration of liberated from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Talking about the current economic agenda of the organization, B.Amreyev mainly highlighted the allocation by Secretariat the Turkic Investment Fund and Turkic Trade Houses, as well as the establishment of Free Trade regime and Industrial Parks aimed to increase the trade relations among the countries.
During the meeting, the Partiers discussed current status and prospects of energy cooperation within the organization. They exchanged views on the bilateral cooperation with Turkic speaking countries in the field of energy, on the further deepening of this cooperation on the basis of the organization's platform.
Head of the Organization underlined that almost all of the Members of the Turkic Council are rich of natural resources and stressed the great potential for expanding relations between Turkic speaking countries in energy sector, particularly in the fields of joint production and transportation of hydrocarbons, energy efficiency, and use of renewable energy sources, energy regulation and others.
The proposals and mechanisms of cooperation in the field of energy has been included to the “Turkic Vision 2040” and “Turkic Council Strategy 2025”.
The Parties also exchanged views on the measures to be taken in the energy sector within Azerbaijan's chairmanship of the organization, including the upcoming first meeting of working group and Ministers in charge energy of the Turkic Council.
Meeting with Minister of Culture
Minister Anar Karimov extended his gratitude to delegation headed by Secretary General of the Turkic Council and consisted the Secretary General of TURKSOY Mr. Dusein Kaseinov and President of Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation Mrs. Gunay Afandiyeva for their visit to Aghdam and Fuzuli region of the Azerbaijan liberated from Armenian occupation and for the support given to Azerbaijan during the war.
Minister stressed that the delegation witnessed how the cultural and historical heritage sites of the region have been destroyed during the occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh by Armenia for many years.
Minister informed that during the many years of occupation, immovable historical and cultural monuments in these areas that belong to the Azerbaijani people have been destroyed, misappropriated and vandalized by not being used in accordance with their historical and cultural purposes. Such barbaric treatment of cultural heritage, including unique monuments of special importance, should be seen as a threat to world heritage.
Secretary General Baghdad Amreyev said the culture occupies an important place in the unity of the Turkic World. He underlined that the current task of the Turkic organizations to work together to support Azerbaijan to restore the previous state of Karabakh.
B.Amreyev stated that during the meeting with President I.Aliyev, he proposed to President declare Shusha as the Cultural capital of the Turkic World in 2022. Mentioning on instructions given by President at the meeting, Secretary General noted that Turkic Council will ensure the active involvement of business communities of the Turkic countries in the restoration and reconstruction processes of Karabakh. In this context, he informed Minister about the special Business Forum planned to be organized in Azerbaijan this year with the participation of investors and major entrepreneurs from Turkic region.
Minister emphasized the necessity of strengthening cooperation among Turkic cooperation organizations in the field of culture to support and protection of mutual interests in a regional and international platform.
Turkic Council Secretary General also informed Minister about the initiative of the Secretariat to establish the institution of goodwill ambassadors of the Turkic Council, aimed to increase the visibility of the Turkic Council. He asked for assistance from the Minister to nominate the most prominent people (cultural figures, artists, writers, academicians and etc.) from Azerbaijan.
Secretary General of TURKSOY Mr. Dusein Kaseinov shared views on involvement of the organization to restoration process in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan, particularly reconstruction of cultural and historical sights and preparation of major international events.
Highlighting the importance of declaring Shusha city as the Cultural capital of the Turkic world in 2022, TURKSOY Secretary General D.Kaseinov and President of Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation Mrs. Gunay Afandiyeva expressed their desire and readiness to contribute to the realization and promotion of joint cultural projects and events in Shusha within the framework of the cultural year.
