Page 13 - DIVA_No.24_2006

Azerbaijan and UNESCO companies that operated in
Goodwill Ambassador. The Azerbaijan, such as the Nobel
main goals of the Foundation Brothers and their famous
are directed towards rendering "The Nobel Brother's
support in realization of the Company", Shell Transport
large-scale programs aimed at which became Royal Dutch
the study of rich heritage of Shell, the Rothschilds' Bank
the nationwide leader of Azeri House and several others. It
nation Heydar Aliyev and its comes as no surprise as why
use in the name of welfare of at those times, the oil-rich
the Azerbaijani nation and Azerbaijan attracted such
progress of the nation, pro- tycoons who brought their
moting achievements in the industrial and banking know-
spheres including science, how to Azerbaijan in pursuit
education, culture, sport, pub- of ensuring an access to
lic health, ecology and econo- Caspian oil reserves. The
my. Moreover, Heydar Aliyev remarkable contributions of
Foundation cooperates with local oil-producers such as The first oil from BTC pipeline in 1997 and its architect
Assadullayev,
education enterprises of Taghiyev, President Heydar Aliyev
Azerbaijan and abroad, grants Naghiyev, Mukhtarov and a
scholarships to especially tal- few others boosted the devel- The BTC Pipeline (Baku- ty for international consuming
ented pupils, students, assists opment of the petroleum Thilisi-Ceyhan) Main Export societies to develop and bring
about 50 million tons of the
connecting
in developing children's industry in Azerbaijan, Pipeline,
homes, culture, health and prompted competition for Azerbaijan, through Georgia Caspian crude oil annually to
education centres as well as additional acreages, additional to Turkey, was conceived by their markets in a way that
medical institutions, holds explorations and even some and realized under the direct shares their concerns about
purposeful seminars and con- marketing instruments, which guidance of the national energy supply security.
ferences, helps in assuring of set the tone for the world leader of Azerbaijan former Azerbaijan also exports crude
ecological security for health petroleum market later on. President Heydar Aliyev. It is oil through other three chan-
of future generation. The natural course of histori- an integral part and the most nels-namely, the Baku-
pipeline
cal development was broken important pillar of the larger Novorossiysk
As the country emerged rich of by the Russian Bolshevik Transportation network - also (Northern Export Route via
in oil, a unique history of Revolution of 1917 that known as the new Silk Road- Russia), the Baku-Supsa
development of petroleum almost three years later led to running all the way from pipeline (Western Export
industry was quickly and the establishment of the Western China and Central Route via Georgia), and the
strongly kept in memories and Soviet regime in Azerbaijan Asia, through the Caspian and Baku-Batumi railway (via
books. It is a well-known fact and continued until the state Caucasus, across the Black Georgia).
that oil has been produced by independence was regained in Sea, and then on to ports in
methods
in
The envisaged construction of
1991.
industrial Ukraine,
the
and
Azerbaijan for about 150 Mediterranean. the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum
years. By 1901, more than 50 Since 1994, Azerbaijan has South Caucasian (natural gas)
percent of the world's oil had concluded 24 agreements on This transportation super Pipeline is another mega-proj-
been produced in Azerbaijan. development of hydrocarbon highway is designed to com- ect which aims at securing the
At those times, a critical factor resources of the country with plement existing transport alternative supplies of natural
that accelerated the dynamic participation of 36 companies routes from Asia to Europe, gas to the European market
development of the petroleum from 17 states; in 30 years to including the traditional and via Turkey and some of the
industry was an active come, foreign investments in often heavily overloaded out- Balkan and Eastern European
involvement of local and for- the oil and gas sector will total lets via Russia. Eventually, the countries. All in one would
eign manufactures and approximately $60 billion. goal is to create a fully inte- constitute an inclusive region-
investors in phases of explo- Today, annual oil production grated transportation network- al energy infrastructure,
ration, recovery, transporta- equals about 20 million tons, including upgraded highways, which will propel the regional
tion, refinery and marketing whereas in 2009-2010 it will pipelines, railroads, ports, fer- economic development and
of oil and oil products-the seg- reach 50-60 million tons per ries, fiber-optic lines, electric- prompt the region's integra-
ments of oil market so desper- year. By 2013, Azerbaijan will ity transmission lines-that will tion with international econo-
ately promoting competition be annually producing at least make it easier for the states of my.
nowadays. During World War 30 billion cbm of natural gas. Central Asia and the Caucasus
II, Azerbaijan single-handedly In the coming five years only, to trade not only with each Currently, the economic poli-
contributed more than 70 per- some $10 billion will be other but also with Europe, cy of Azerbaijan is based on
cent of total oil supplies to the invested in oil and gas sector. the Middle East, and the rest liberalization of economic
USSR. Today, there are nearly Total proven oil and natural of the world. This system has activity, de-monopolization
100 countries which extract gas reserves of Azerbaijan are a potential to become a very and private sector develop-
oil. Azerbaijan was one of the tantamount to 21-35 billion important element of the net- ment. As a result of reforms
major pioneers in this field. barrels and 5 trillion cubic work of international econom- since 1996, the economic
meters, respectively. ic security. It represents in decline has been stopped and
It is worth recollecting the itself an additional opportuni- an upward trend of the GDP
names of oil producers and oil