The South Caucasus News - SouthCaucasusNews.comThe United States on Tuesday denounced Russia’s presidential elections describing it as “undemocratic,” as the Secretary of State Antony Blinken put it.
“… We believe this to be an undemocratic process. It’s something that I know the Secretary agrees with” State Department’s Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told TURAN’s Washington correspondent during…
The United States said on Tuesday it “continues to pay close attention” to the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan, in wake of alarming statements from the region.
“It’s something that not just the Secretary [Antony Blinken] but Assistant Secretary [Jim] O’Brien as well as Senior Coordinator [Louis] Bono are…
Azerbaijan Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Ramin Hasanov, made a speech at the Climate Issues Conference about preparations for the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change – COP29, according to Azerbaijan in Focus, reporting Azernews, citing a post shared by the ambassador.
The post reads as follows:
“Spoke at WWF Korea-hosted Climate Action Conference about my country’s environmental security, sustainable energy & green growth policies, including transforming Azerbaijan’s ancestral territories liberated from Armenian occupation to net zero emission zone, as well as COP29 preparations.”
It should be noted that COP29 will be held in Azerbaijan in November this year. Delegations of all 199 countries that have signed the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change are expected to participate in the conference.
The post Azerbaijani ambassador makes speech on preparations for COP29 at conference held in Korea appeared first on Azerbaijan In Focus.
Azerbaijan could invest in Croatia’s renewable energy projects, noted a source at the Croatian Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, according to Azerbaijan in Focus, reporting Trend.
“We need to share our experiences and explore possible future cooperation among our companies. We also see potential for Azerbaijan to become an investor in certain Croatian RES projects,” said the source.
The sources believe that there is a great opportunity for cooperation in the geothermal sector as Azerbaijan has significant know-how regarding that technology.
As for the possibility of Croatia’s joining the Azerbaijan-Europe green energy corridor, the Black Sea Cable project, the source noted that there were no talks regarding the mentioned project, but Croatia supports all opportunities that will boost decarbonization of the energy sector in the EU.
Azerbaijan, Romania Georgia and Hungary signed an agreement to build a Black Sea sea-belt electric cable from the Black Sea coast of Georgia to the Black Sea coast of Romania on December 17, 2022.
The Black Sea Energy Submarine Cable project intends to provide Europe with secure energy sources. In order to assist the initiative, the European Commission, Azerbaijan, Romania, Hungary, and Georgia signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement in Bucharest.
The main priority of the project is to deliver renewable energy to Romania through underwater electrical cables passing through Azerbaijan and Georgia. It is anticipated that the project, with an initial budget of $2.3 billion, will be operational by 2029.
As part of this project, it is planned to lay a 1,195-kilometer power transmission line with a capacity of 1,000 MW between Georgia and Romania and install a digital connecting cable. To this end, with the support of the World Bank, it is planned to prepare a technical and economic justification for the project by the end of 2023.
Alongside Azerbaijan, two Caspian Sea countries, namely Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, may also join this green corridor initiative to bring their vast green energy resources to Europe.
The post Croatia eyes Azerbaijani investments in its renewable energy projects appeared first on Azerbaijan In Focus.
The EU–Azerbaijan energy cooperation is irreversibly deepening, Robert M. Cutler, energy security and geo-economics specialist, fellow, Canadian Energy Research Institute, fellow, Canadian Global Affairs Institute wrote in his article published on the website of the NATO Association of Canada, according to Azerbaijan in Focus, reporting Trend.
“On 1 March 2024, Baku, Azerbaijan, became the focal point for a pivotal convergence in the energy sector: the 10th Ministerial Meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) Advisory Council alongside the 2nd Ministerial Meeting of the Green Energy Advisory Council. The gathering represented a significant milestone in the cooperation of the European Union (EU) with the Republic of Azerbaijan while it also showcased how global energy strategies are dynamically evolving,” reads the article.
The author points out that the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) is a pivotal pipeline project facilitating the transportation of gas from the Caspian Sea region to Europe. Since the onset of the Ukraine war in February 2022, the SGC has emerged as a vital mechanism in lessening Europe’s reliance on Russian gas. Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz gas field, situated offshore, serves as the primary supplier for this corridor, reads the article.
Cutler emphasizes that against the backdrop of evolving geopolitical dynamics and increasing political impetus for energy diversification towards nontraditional sources, the recent meetings underscored Azerbaijan’s strategic importance.
”The meeting in Baku underscored Azerbaijan’s pivotal role in enhancing European energy security through diversified gas supplies. However, its significance arises not just from its enormous natural gas deposits but also from its vast potential for wind power,” he added.
The gatherings in Baku convened representatives from 23 partner governments and 52 institutions and companies, as highlighted by the author. These meetings underscored the enduring commitment between the European Union (and the Republic of Azerbaijan to their Strategic Partnership in the energy sector. The presence of EU Commissioner Kadri Simson underscored the significance of the EU-Azerbaijan partnership from Brussels’ perspective. This collaboration encompasses various practical policy domains, including ensuring an affordable, stable, and secure natural gas supply, fostering renewable energy generation, improving energy efficiency, exploring hydrogen production, mitigating methane emissions, and ensuring environmental protection.
“For example, the European Commission facilitated a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on wind-energy cooperation between Azerbaijan’s Renewable Energy Agency and the European industry association WindEurope. This MoU opens the door for European renewable-energy companies to participate in harnessing Azerbaijan’s vast wind-power potential, likely accelerating the increase of the share of nontraditional energy in the region and potentially supplying it to Europe.
Azerbaijan boasts the potential for 27 gigawatts (GW) of wind and solar power onshore, with an additional 157 GW of wind power in its offshore Caspian Sea sector. Azerbaijan has set the ambitious goal for such sources to constitute 30 percent of its total installed electricity capacity by 2030. This goal contributes to its excellent relations with the EU in view of the latter’s push toward nontraditional energy sources.
Thus the SGC, traditionally associated with natural gas, has evolved into a platform for cooperation that now encompasses renewables and electrification. The strategic partnership on wind energy illustrates the deepening of the cooperation, as nontraditional forms of energy become an equal aspect of their bilateral relations,” he added.
Additionally, Cutler highlighted Azerbaijan’s significant stride in joining the Global Methane Pledge initiative, which involves voluntary commitments by nation-states to decrease global methane emissions by at least 30 percent by the decade’s end. Azerbaijan’s commitment to climate action dates back to its ratification of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1995 and the Kyoto Protocol in 2000. Notably, Azerbaijan has updated its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), aiming for a 40 percent reduction in atmospheric gas emissions, up from the previous 35 percent target. Furthermore, it has announced plans to designate the Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur economic regions as a decarbonization zone with a target set for 2050.
“With the close of the 10th Ministerial Meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council and the 2nd Ministerial Meeting of the Green Energy Advisory Council in Baku, it is clear that EU–Azerbaijan energy cooperation is irreversibly deepening. The two sides converge in their agreed emphasis on ensuring the stability of the supply of natural gas while pursuing ambitiously the development of nontraditional energy resources. This agreement represents a strategic partnership with a shared vision for the future of energy geoeconomics and signifies a robust foundation for advancing shared interests and mitigating threats to energy security,” the author concludes.
The post Robert M. Cutler: EU–Azerbaijan energy cooperation is irreversibly deepening appeared first on Azerbaijan In Focus.
First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva has shared a post on her social media accounts on the occasion of Novruz holiday, according to Azerbaijan in Focus, reporting AzerTac.
The post reads as follows:
“Dear fellow compatriots!
I sincerely congratulate you on the occasion of Novruz holiday and I wish each of you the best of health, joy, happiness and long life! I am grateful to everyone for the congratulations and good wishes. Thank you very much for your love, sincerity, respect and attention! Let this holiday, a symbol of the awakening and renewal of nature, bring health, mutual understanding and peace to every home! May Allah rest the souls of all our martyrs, who died for the Motherland, in peace and grant patience and tolerance to their relatives and loved ones. May Almighty God not spare his mercy for our people!
With deep respect and love,
Your MEHRIBAN.”
The post First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva made post on Novruz holiday appeared first on Azerbaijan In Focus.
Many thousands are being injured: 7,310 in 2023 only.
— Levan Tsutskiridze (@LTsutskiridze) March 20, 2024