Ambassador: The Netherlands attaches importance to construction of SGC

Baku. 13 March. REPORT.AZ/ Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Azerbaijan Onno Kervers has received the delegation of Caspian Energy headed by President and Editor-in-Chief of Caspian Energy International Media Group Natalya Aliyeva.

Report informs, issues concerning the participation of the Dutch companies in Caspian Energy Forum – 2017 to be held in Baku on April 12 were discussed in the course of the meeting.

The Ambassador stressed the importance of economic reforms implemented in the country and the significance of participation of the European investors in diversification of economy and regional projects of Azerbaijan. “Azerbaijan and Netherlands have established a broad economic, trade and investment cooperation. Considering different international initiatives and the location of Azerbaijan, the Baku International Sea Trade Port is an interesting venture. We have the North-South Transport Corridor planned from Saint-Petersburg to Mumbai and if we look at the map the route will also cross this region. Thus, development and improvement of the infrastructure, as well as free trade zone on the Caspian Sea can certainly help in this respect. And of course, in addition to the North-South route, there is also an East-West route, a new Silk Way or as our Chinese friends call it one belt one route. It provides broad opportunities”, the Ambassador concluded.

Apart from this, Onno Kervers stated that adoption of the Road Map in December last year and the plans to diversify the economy of Azerbaijan do very well combine with what Netherlands aspires to achieve in its cooperation with Azerbaijan, because the first priority is agriculture where the two countries have set contacts for deeper cooperation. It also involves the use of Dutch technology and knowhow cooperation with Dutch companies.

According to him, all efforts are being focused on achievement of these goals.

Speaking about the construction of the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC), the Ambassador noted that the Netherlands attaches importance to the construction of the SGC, although it is not a direct benefiter of it. But it bears importance in political and in a strategic sense because it means that Europe - and the Netherlands as part of it - diversify their energy sources.

At the end of the meeting the Ambassador gave an exclusive interview to Caspian Energy. In the course of the interview he touched the possibilities of development of bilateral relations, expansion of the economic cooperation, as well as touched issues of development of the energy cooperation.