Ilham Aliyev received Chief Executive Officer of bp

On May 12, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received Meg O'Neill, Chief Executive Officer of bp.

The head of state congratulated Meg O’Neill on her appointment as CEO of bp and expressed confidence that the successful cooperation between SOCAR and bp would continue under her leadership.

President Ilham Aliyev praised the unique history of partnership between Azerbaijan and bp spanning more than 30 years. The head of state emphasized that the revenues generated from all projects implemented during this period have primarily been utilized for Azerbaijan’s socio-economic development.

Noting that the number of projects implemented jointly by Azerbaijan and bp is growing, the President underlined that this demonstrates the mutually beneficial nature of the cooperation and highlighted the strategic character of the partnership.

Expressing her gratitude for the congratulations, Meg O’Neill said she was honored to be in Baku.

The bp CEO particularly highlighted the visionary leadership of National Leader Heydar Aliyev and President Ilham Aliyev in utilizing oil and gas revenues for the country’s development. In this regard, Meg O’Neill touched upon the development of Baku, including investments made in roads and infrastructure.

The head of state noted that, in some cases, oil and gas revenues lead to social inequality; however, in Azerbaijan’s case, they have contributed to the country’s development. Recalling that the “Contract of the Century” was signed shortly after the restoration of independence, President Ilham Aliyev mentioned that the country had faced difficult circumstances following the First Garabagh War, having suffered territorial losses and a humanitarian catastrophe. The President stated that the state budget had been at a near-zero level at the time, and the only way out of the situation was to attract major international companies to the country and convince them to invest. In this context, President Ilham Aliyev expressed his gratitude to bp for the confidence it had shown.

During the conversation, the sides highlighted bp’s energy projects in Azerbaijan, including renewable energy initiatives, and touched upon the importance of the company’s project implemented in the liberated territories. The meeting also emphasized Azerbaijan’s role in ensuring Europe’s energy security and discussed the prospects for cooperation between SOCAR and bp.