Baku, The Europe Today: Parviz Shahbazov, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Energy, addressed the IEA–COP31 Türkiye Energy Ministers’ Dialogue on “Shaping the Energy Transition amid Changing Global Environment”, held as part of COP31 in Antalya.
Minister Parviz Shahbazov highlighted the opportunities offered by Azerbaijan’s green energy corridor initiatives for reliable and cost-effective electrification. “Bringing together the energy agendas of COP28, COP29 and COP31 within a unified framework, we emphasized the importance of translating commitments into concrete investments and project[s],” the minister said on X.
Integrated Approach to the Energy Transition
Outlining Azerbaijan’s integrated approach, Shahbazov said that expanding renewable energy generation alongside the modernisation of power grids and energy storage systems is key to a sustainable transition. He stressed that generation capacity alone is not sufficient, and that grids and storage must develop in parallel to ensure that clean electricity reaches consumers reliably.
Green Energy Corridors Linking Central Asia to Europe
The minister noted that green energy corridor initiatives linking Central Asia, the Caspian region, the South Caucasus, Türkiye and Europe are set to deliver reliable, cost-effective electrification across the wider region. These corridors are intended to connect renewable energy resources in the East with growing demand for clean power in Türkiye and European markets, strengthening regional interconnection and energy security.
Parviz Shahbazov Calls for Unified COP Energy Strategy
Noting that the COP28 initiative on renewable energy production and the COP29 Global Energy Storage and Grids Pledge complement the electrification agenda of COP31, Parviz Shahbazov called for integrating these priorities into a unified strategy. He urged participants to translate pledges into concrete investments and projects, ensuring continuity across successive climate conferences.
Azerbaijan, which hosted COP29 in Baku, has positioned itself as a bridge between consecutive COP presidencies, advocating for practical implementation of energy commitments made at the UAE-hosted COP28, its own COP29 and the current COP31 in Türkiye.
