Speech of H.E. Kamal Abbasov, Deputy Minister of Energy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, at the 31st International Conference and Exhibition “Oil & Gas of Turkmenistan”

First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Turkmen side for the successful organization of the 31st International Conference and Exhibition “Oil & Gas of Turkmenistan” and for the warm hospitality extended to us. I am confident that this important event will make a valuable contribution to further strengthening energy cooperation among the countries of Central Asia and beyond.

Turkmenistan has established itself as an important player in the global energy sector, possessing vast natural gas resources and demonstrating a strong commitment to the development and modernization of its energy industry. The ongoing development of the giant Galkynysh gas field, together with major infrastructure initiatives such as the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) gas pipeline, reflects the country’s strategic vision to expand production capacity, diversify export routes, and strengthen its role in ensuring regional energy security. We highly appreciate Turkmenistan’s continued efforts to attract investment, introduce advanced technologies, and develop modern energy infrastructure.

Traditionally, energy has been one of the key areas of our bilateral cooperation. For many years, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan have maintained close collaboration in the oil and gas sector, particularly in the trade of crude oil, petroleum products, and petrochemical products.

I would like to specifically highlight the historic visit of the President of Turkmenistan, His Excellency Serdar Berdimuhamedov, to Azerbaijan on 22–23 June 2026. During the visit, the heads of our two brotherly states signed a Joint Statement, which underlines that our countries possess significant energy potential and regard the energy sector as one of the priority areas of cooperation.

In this regard, we also attach great importance to the Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Energy between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of Turkmenistan, signed during this high-level visit. The Agreement strengthens the legal framework and creates additional opportunities for further enhancing collaboration between our countries.

Therefore, the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) is keen to continue cooperation with the Turkmen side in the supply and trade of crude oil, petroleum products, and petrochemical products, including the processing of Turkmen crude oil in Azerbaijan for export to international markets.

In this context, I would like to highlight the significant results achieved in the transportation of Turkmenistan-origin crude oil through the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline. Between 2023 and August 2026, a total of approximately 10 million tonnes of Turkmen crude oil was transported to international markets through this route. Furthermore, approximately 820,000 tonnes of Turkmen crude oil were transported to Azerbaijan for processing, with the resulting petroleum products subsequently exported to the world market.

In addition to our collaboration in the oil sector, Azerbaijan is interested in resuming gas supplies from Turkmenistan in accordance with the natural gas purchase and sale agreement signed between SOCAR and the State Concern “Turkmengas” on 24 December 2021. Under this agreement, approximately 1.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas were supplied in 2022 and 2.4 billion cubic meters in 2023. The Azerbaijani side remains ready to discuss the resumption of gas supplies from Turkmenistan and the extension of the existing agreement on mutually beneficial terms.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Due to its geographic position and sustainably developing economy, Azerbaijan serves as a reliable bridge between Central Asia and Europe. At the same time, I would like to mention that despite being an oil and gas country, Azerbaijan is steadily pursuing the course of energy transition.

In this regard, I would like to highlight the ongoing cooperation between Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan in advancing the Central Asia–Azerbaijan Green Energy Corridor, which aims to transmit renewable electricity from Central Asia through Azerbaijan to European markets.

The feasibility study of this project is ongoing and is financed by the Asian Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. The project’s joint venture has been established in Baku and is carrying forward the implementation of the project.

We believe that closer cooperation in this area will help us make more effective use of our energy potential, strengthen regional connectivity, and create new opportunities for mutually beneficial partnerships.

In this context, we also believe that there is potential for cooperation with Turkmenistan in the electricity sector. Together with our esteemed Turkmen partners, we can explore the possibility of exporting electricity generated in Turkmenistan to European countries through Azerbaijan.

Looking ahead, we see considerable potential for further expanding our collaboration with Turkmenistan and other Central Asian countries across the oil and gas value chain, including crude oil transportation, refining, petroleum products trade, natural gas supplies, and joint development projects.

We are confident that continued dialogue between our governments and energy companies will help translate this potential into concrete results.

I hope that this conference will provide a valuable opportunity for in-depth discussions of issues related to oil and gas cooperation and will enable us to identify further joint steps in this direction.

Thank you for your attention.