In a meeting with me today, the management of French company Total informed me about the discovery of major gas reserves in the Absheron field in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea. In turn, I want to share this great news with the people of Azerbaijan. I want to congratulate the people of Azerbaijan on this event. This is a great event indeed. The discovery of a large volume of gas reserves in the Absheron field is a huge contribution to the development of Azerbaijan’s gas potential.

The Absheron field was discovered by Azerbaijani geologists back in the 1960s. But considering the water depths, we could not operate this field at the time. Thanks to the realization of Azerbaijan’s oil strategy, thanks to the policy pursued on the initiative of Heydar Aliyev, Azerbaijan’s capabilities have substantially increased. We now have drilling rigs capable of conducting exploration anywhere in the Caspian Sea.

The first international contract on the Absheron field was signed in 1997. The work done at the time did not yield results, and in 2005 the contract was terminated. But we did not lose hope. Azerbaijani geologists and specialists of the State Oil Company believed that there are productive strata in the Absheron field. This belief was also expressed by foreign partners. Proceeding from this mutual interest, Total and the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan signed the second contract on Absheron in 2009. It does not happen very often when a contract on the same field is signed twice. At present, exploration shows that there is a result. I want to repeat that a very large gas field has been discovered on Absheron.

This will enable us to promote our gas strategy even more confidently, secure further international recognition of Azerbaijan as an exporter of gas and protect the interests of the Azerbaijani people. Over the coming period, over decades Azerbaijan will prove to be a world-scale exporter of gas, and the significance of our country will, without a doubt, further increase.

Our energy policy has one goal – to secure the interests of the Azerbaijani people and deepen regional cooperation. Very important steps have been taken in this direction. We now have a diversified energy transit infrastructure. We have seven oil and gas pipelines. Azerbaijani oil is delivered to European and world markets via different routes. Azerbaijan was traditionally known as an oil country, while today Azerbaijan is important to the whole world primarily as a gas exporter. We are using these opportunities effectively.

We have many plans. We are doing specific work to diversify our export opportunities. I am sure that all transit issues will be resolved before the end of this year, and new markets for Azerbaijani gas will thus be opened.

The European Union and Azerbaijan have very effective relations in this sphere, our cooperation is fruitful. In January this year, the European Union and Azerbaijan signed a very important declaration on the Southern gas corridor and established a working group. I am sure that the talks under way today will soon lead to good results. At the same time, the discovery of a major gas field is a great contribution to Azerbaijan’s energy security. We have fully ensured our energy security. The Umid field, discovered by the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan some time ago, also has a great potential. It has more than 300 billion cubic meters of gas reserves. Work on our biggest field of Shah Deniz, which is one of the biggest fields in the world, is successfully under way. Preparations for the second stage of the Shah Deniz project are under way. Serious discussions on these matters are under way with foreign partners. In short, Azerbaijan’s gas potential is proving itself not only for our country, but also for the region and the whole world.

At the same time, specific steps are being taken to gasify our country, new gas lines are built in all our districts. The task we have set is to resolve all gasification issues in Azerbaijan in the next two years and to fully gasify Azerbaijan. Specific instructions have already been issued in this regard. Azerbaijan’s policies in this sphere are very prudent and precise, they serve the interests of the Azerbaijani people. I am sure there will be many more great occasions like this. In the years ahead exploration and drilling operations will be conducted on other wells, and this will create new opportunities for the development of Azerbaijan.

I want to congratulate all the people of Azerbaijan on this great occasion. This is a very significant, a very important event indeed. It shows again that our country has great opportunities, a vast potential and a wonderful future.