Energy summit ends in Baku - UPDATED

16:21

The states, represented in the energy summit in Baku, have been involved to participation in different projects, but Azerbaijan is in the center of them, said President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, according to Novosti-Azerbaijan.

"Our current effective cooperation can contribute to further use of all energy sources of the Caspian basin", noted he in his final speech at the fourth energy summit.

The President stressed importance of holding a summit in the region, where there is much to be done to ensure stability and security.

He said participation of several countries in the event will contribute to further cooperation and the regional development.

"The energy projects must unite all states. This may not be attributed to a separate state. Within adoption of a declaration of the summit we are expanding cooperation between the Caspian, Black Sea, Baltic and EU states", noted Aliyev, adding that the cooperation creates conditions for the successul implementation of different projects.

According to the President, Azerbaijan is for continuation of cooperation on implementation of different energy projects.

"We initiated implementation of energy projects in the 1990s. Our successful cooperation encourages implementation of new projects. Perhaps, today it is difficult to see the future of our cooperation, but 15 years ago most could hardly believe in the BTC implementation", said the President.

"But these projects have been launched and they are already transporting the Kazakh oil", noted he.

He said the conducte dmeetings created an opportunity for discussion of the further joint cooperation and allowed to discuss further actions to ensure long-term mutual energy cooperation.

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16:10

According to Novosti-Azerbaijan, the heads of the six states, attending the fourth energy summit, signed a Baku declaration.

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16:06

Polish President Lech Kachinski hopes that the current energy summit in Baku will become as much productive as the Kiev.

"But today we are in a different state after events in Georgia", said L.Kachinski speaking at the summit Friday, according to Interfax-Azerbaijan.

The Polish president called competition in the sphere of energy supplies to be an important aspect of these events.

"There are countries, which want to be monopolists. Our efforts are aimed at creating and strengthening of supplies diversification. We support the Nabucco, Turkey-Greece-Italy, as well as Odessa-Brody projects and we can bring the export on them from the current 38 mln to 50 mln tons per year", noted the Polish President.

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16:05

Preparation of a feasibility study on the Odessa-Brody pipeline has been completed in December and decisions have been adopted and definite works will start in 2009, said Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko, according to Novosti-Azerbaijan.

The Odessa-Brody pipeline will transport Caspian oil to Europe. The route will pass via Georgia: oil will be pumped to Georgian port of Supsa by existing system of pipelines, then transportation to Ukraine will be conducted by tankers to the Odessa port of Yuzhniy and from there by the Ukrainian pipeline will be supplied to Odessa-Brody.

For the further transportation to Europe, it is necessary to build separate branches of at least 500 km in length both in Ukraine and in Poland. For this puirpose, the New Sarmatiya company was crated during the energy summit in Vilnius.

"A meeting of the work group will be held in January of 2009, after which there is a plan to start definite works on the Odessa-Brody project", Yushchenko noted Friday in his speech at the fourth energy summit in Baku.

He said a consortium, representing all member-states of the project has been established with participation of six companies.

"The work group continues its activity', noted he.

"Ukraine will not create any obstacles in the energy diversification of Europe", noted the President, speaking of Ukraine's role in energy projects.

As for the importance of the Baku summit, Yushchenko announced that the heads of the states reached the stage of effective dialogue and that business interests can not be executed without the political will.

"Implementation of energy projects is impossible without the political will of the heads of the state", noted he.

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15:51

"Baku Energy Summit assumes great importance", said Turkish President Abdullah Gul in his speech at the 4th Energy Summit in Baku, APA reports.

President Gul underlined the traditional energy cooperation between the summit participants and said several large energy projects were carried out so far. “I think this energy cooperation is secure. We believe that there is a mutual force between the peoples living in the South Caucasus together for hundreds of years and they will find solution to the existing problems. Solution to these problems will strengthen energy cooperation too”.

Speaking about Nabucco project, the Turkish President said this project related mostly to the gas purchase. “We believe the Uzbekistan’s gas will be transported via Southern corridor to Europe. We think that Iraqi and Iranian gas will also join the turnover, which will extend the energy cooperation. There are serious progresses in establishing of Egyptian, Syrian and Turkish lines”.

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15:41

According to Interfax-Azerbaijan, Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus, speaking at the energy summit in Baku, called on the European Union to pay special attention to the implementation of the Nabucco and Odessa-Brody projects.

"The EU members must be operative and constructive in the choice of projects, which connect the Caspian basin with Europe. Such projects as Nabucco and Odessa-Brody open doors for the resolution of problems of energy security", said Adamkus.

He said the resolution of the problems of energy security requires immediate actions and one of the primary steps in this direction he called strengthening of the EU activity in the implementation of the Odessa-Brody project and appointment of a special representative from the European commission.

The Eurasian transport corridor and Nabucco will help diversify energy supplies", said the President.

He noted that the "energy prices can not be defined by the monopolism and therefore, the European countries must diversify sources of their supplies".

"We must use possible rich energy sources of the Caspian states to send them by the southern corridor", announced Adamkus.

He welcomed Czechia's actions on the use of the "Friendship" pipeline for supplies of energy sources to Slovakia and Czechia.

"EU must cooperate with Azerbaijan as a strategic partner and the implementation of the BTC project proved this need", noted the Lithuanian leader.

"I do not doubt that the new US administration will intensify work to ensure energy security. It is now time for our countries to make serious steps in the implementation of such projects as Nabucco, Odessa-Brody and Turkey-Greece-Italy gas pipeline", noted Adamkus.

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15:21

In the framework of the energy summit in Baku while speaking to Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko, head of the US Energy Department Samuel Borman expressed interest to some aspects of the construction of the Odessa-Brody pipeline.

Yushchenko voiced Ukraine's interest in the further wide development of bilateral energy cooperation with the United States, primarily its investment component in such spheres, as nuclear energy, hydrocarbons production, energy saving technologies, alternative and resumed energy.

The President of Ukraine noted that the use of investments and experience of US energy company, involvement of technical assistance of the United States and new technologies to the UKrainian energy would allow Ukraine to strengthen its energy security.

According to Yushchenko, Ilraine reckons on continuation of active support of the Ukrainian energy policy by the US government, especially, what is related to execution of measures on diversification of sources and ways of energy supplies.

President of Ukraine also voiced hope for the soonest implementation of an agreement on creation of the US-Ukrainian work group on energy issues.

"We are also interested in the establishment of a mechanism of trilateral consultations on the issues of energy security in the Ukraine-USA-EU format", added Yushchenko.

According to the press service for the Ukrainian President, the US side voiced interest in a closer cooperation with Sarmatiya.

Borman also noted that the issues of energy security of Ukraine and the United States will remain urgent after formation of a new government in the United States.

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14:26

"Azerbaijan has demonstrated a great courage in Europe’s energy security.

Azerbaijan’s achievements may serve as an example to everybody," said Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili addressing the Energy Summit in Baku, APA reports. He said occupation of a part of Georgia’s territory by Russia caused damage to the country, bridges, railways, ports were harmed.

"We are not against the cooperation with Russia. Development and implementation of alternative energy projects is very important. Work should continue on Odessa-Brodi project. Once no one believed that Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline would be realized. But this great project was realized. I think cooperation in energy security should be continued with the European Union," he said.

Mikhail Saakashvili also mentioned that Azerbaijan offered assistance to Georgia when the country faced energy problem in January, 2006.
“I will never forget it,” he said.

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14:10

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev addressed the 4th energy summit held in Baku.

APA’s correspondent attending the summit reports that Azerbaijani President said energy security was more urgent compared with 10 years before. He said Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline was being implemented and Odessa-Brodi project was being discussed.

“Joint company has been established for the implementation of the project, technical feasibility was being carried out. This work will end soon,” he said.

Underlining the importance of energy policy and joint efforts, the Head of State said Azerbaijan had already begun exporting gas and halted gas import. Ilham Aliyev mentioned that Azerbaijan was exporting gas to such countries as Turkey, Georgia and Ukraine. The President said Azerbaijan’s natural gas resources would be sufficient by the next century.

“Activities are being carried out in the country in line with the demands of consumers and transit countries,” he said.

The President said the declaration to be adopted basing on the outcomes of the summit would cover the achievements and joint cooperation.

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13:57

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev considers that the Odessa-Brody-Plotsk-Gdansk pipeline project has "a good potential", Aliyev said speaking at the energy summit in Baku. He said this project is being seriously discussed.

The President of Azerbaijan announced that today the annual oil production in Azerbaijan makes 50,000,000 tons. Azerbaijan is ready to raise production but this requires new capacities for oil transportation.

Speaking of gas production, Aliyev said Azerbaijan's gas reserves will be enough for 100 years for internal and external consumption.

Aliyev called the energy summit a productive cooperation and announced that the balance of interests of producers and consumers of gas is a basis of our cooperation.

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13:35

The summit is attended by EU commissioner on energy issued Andris Piebalgs, Presidents of Turkey Abdullah Gul, Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili, Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko, Lithuania Valdas Adamkus and Poland Lech Kachinski.

"None of the participants of the fourth summit on energy security in Baku (Azerbaijan) challenges the profitability of the project on supplies of Caspian oil to Europe, including via Ukraine", said Bogdan Sokolovski, authorized agent of the Ukrainian president on issues of energy security.

Sokolovski noted that Azerbaijan expressed readiness to ensure oil production for implementation of this project. First time, this volume will be 5-9 mln tons per year. Sokolovski also added that the capacities in Ukraine are able to process 5-6 mln tons of oil.

Sokolovski announced that definite decisions about technical implementation of the project will not adopted at the summit. He said the representatives of the summit member-states must confirm the profitability of this project.

/RBK-Ukraina, Regnum/