Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Recourses Taner Yildiz, Minister of transport and communication Binali Yildirim, SOCAR President Rovnag Abdullayev are expected to deliver a speech today. Ziya Mammadov, the Minister of Transportation of Azerbaijan is attending the Forum too.

The forum, organized by the Caspian Strategy Institute (HASEN), was opened by Haldun Yavash, the Secretary General of HASEN. Addressing at the forum, he spoke about the importance and purposes of the forum. Yavash said that the joint aim of the Forum is to acquaint the whole world with energy, transportation and economic opportunities of the Caspian region and to connect countries, cities and peoples via energy and transport corridors for the reliable future.

Then Turkish president Abdullah Gul`s message to participants was also read. The message reads that joint cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey has turned the region to a place of cooperation.

Turkish Minister of Customs and Trade Hayati Yazici also had a speech at the forum and noted that the joint aim of the forum is Yazici, talking about economic potential of the Caspian basin in the economic system of the world, expressed that Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline (TANAP) is a reform in the energy history of Eurasia: “Turkey has turned into a country playing bridge role in energy transport as a result of close cooperation with Caspian basin”

The Minister, underlining the Southern Gas Corridor`s importance for the energy security of the region and Europe, noted the corridor will carry out an important pipeline role for the transport of gas from Caspian, East Mediterranean Sea, Turkmen and North Iraq.

According to Yazici, completion of the construction of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is one of the main tasks for the next year and they have a goal to establish an infrastructure, which aims the realization of continuous transport availability that will let a train to departure from London and reach Pekin through Marmara, Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railways and Aktau port in the Caspian Sea.

Hayati Yazici also touched “Silk Way” and “Caravanserai” projects saying that “Caravanserai” project will not be limited only with “Silk way”, which connects East-West. It will also connect Asia and Europe with Africa and embrace multi-field transport, connecting North and South lines.

Addressing in the forum, President of the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan Shahmar Movsumov spoke about main principles of the oil strategy of Azerbaijan, founded by Haydar Aliyev. Mr. Movsumov underlined that transportation of Azerbaijan`s oil into the world market in security is one of the main targets and the projects, including Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline and TANAP, which are realized with a strong financial support of Azerbaijan, are integral parts of this strategy.

Mr. Movsumov, noted that the State Oil Fund functions on the basis transparency and therefore it is relied by people of country. He added that education is getting special attention with President Ilham Aliyev`s instruction and the projects in developing and training of new specialists are financed.

The forum, attended by head of the departments of the Office of the President of Azerbaijan Ali Hasanov, Elnur Aslanov, SOCAR President Rovnag Abdullayev, MPs and experts will continue tomorrow.

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