BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 28. Azerbaijan,
which has been delivering fuel to Europe by way of the Southern Gas
Corridor since 2020, has massive potential to extend its deliveries,
Ambassador of Germany to Azerbaijan Ralf Horlemann instructed Trend in an unique
interview.
“Energy has develop into a really important and necessary difficulty ever
since Russia invaded Ukraine and began to misuse power as a
weapon. Europe needed to react and reorganize its power import
coverage. We needed to substitute for the Russian pipeline fuel and
began to extend imports from different sources. Now, there are a
variety of suppliers which might be offering extra fuel to the EU than they
did prior to now,” he famous.
According to the ambassador, Germany sees nice potential in
power cooperation with Azerbaijan.
“This can be completely within the curiosity of the EU to diversify
its power imports. In a few years, and, with an improve of
pipeline capacities, Azerbaijan might export 20 billion cubic
meters to the EU. As you properly know, just lately the President of the
EU Commission Mrs. von der Leyen was right here to conclude the
Memorandum of Understanding with Azerbaijan, highlighting precisely
this case,” he stated.
As Horlemann identified, as it’s a crucial difficulty for
Germany, the nation want to put the principle give attention to
cooperation in renewable power sources with Azerbaijan.
“Azerbaijan has an enormous potential in producing renewables, in
phrases of solar energy, wind power, and inexperienced hydrogen. It can be
very fascinating for the EU to faucet this potential with a view to meet
its CO2 emission discount targets. Therefore, we see massive potential
for extra cooperation with Azerbaijan. German corporations, in fact,
with their applied sciences, the expertise, can contribute so much in
this regard,” he added.
Horlemann famous that there are a lot of German corporations lively in
the renewable power sector, a number of of which visited Azerbaijan in
June 2022.
“German corporations are all the time in search of funding
alternatives, and they’re trying worldwide for the most effective
circumstances. We understand an enormous curiosity additionally in Azerbaijan, and we
are blissful about some latest investments associated to the power
sector. For instance, there’s a three way partnership between a German and
an Azerbaijani firm to provide aluminum – an enormous funding of
300 million euros,” he stated.
According to the ambassador, the funding was made in
Azerbaijan due to comparatively low-cost power sources accessible
right here, together with renewable power.
“This would open the door for Azerbaijan to the European market,
which can import increasingly sustainably developed merchandise in
the longer term, together with inexperienced aluminum,” he added.
Germany holds an intensive dialogue with the Azerbaijani
authorities on the potential within the renewable power sector,
together with the prospects for inexperienced hydrogen manufacturing, the
ambassador famous.
“There is an ongoing dialogue between the 2 governments. Just
final Monday, I met the power minister of Azerbaijan, Mr.
Shahbazov, to speak, amongst different issues, about inexperienced hydrogen. We
perceive that the Azerbaijani authorities could be very to
develop this sector, as a result of they see that there’s a enormous market,
particularly within the EU. Azerbaijan has an enormous potential in producing
renewables, by way of solar energy, wind power, and inexperienced
hydrogen, which might be exported to the EU market. The manufacturing
of hydrogen is a really energy-intensive course of. So, if you wish to
produce hydrogen at a aggressive value, you want renewable power
sources, as a result of they’re principally free of charge, aside from the
preliminary funding you need to make. With the CO2 emission
discount targets of the EU as of 2030, we have to dramatically
scale back our CO2 emissions, particularly within the energy-intensive
industries, they usually can solely accomplish that through the use of inexperienced hydrogen within the
future, as a substitute of standard fuel,” he stated.
The ambassador famous the good curiosity additionally from the German
aspect, together with from the enterprise sector, to have interaction within the discipline of
renewable power with Azerbaijan.
“We hope to develop and take part in new tasks, proposed by
the Azerbaijani aspect. And, wherever there are public tenders, I’m
very optimistic and assured that German corporations with their enormous
experience within the sector will participate. With the very excessive share of
renewable power sources within the German electrical energy sector, for
instance, we’re very well-placed to take part within the Azerbaijani
market on this discipline,” he added.
Further talking, Ambassador Horlemann famous that, thankfully,
within the first half of this 12 months there’s a sturdy rebound additionally in
the bilateral commerce between Germany and Azerbaijan, and it is a
good foundation to develop commerce and improve exports in numerous
fields.
“One is the place Germany historically has been very sturdy, and
that’s machine constructing, automotive trade, electronics,
chemical compounds, and and so forth. There is a second discipline, which I want to
point out – infrastructure and logistics. Azerbaijan is growing as
a hub between East and West. The Middle Corridor challenge. And there
is a big want for extra investments within the logistics and
infrastructure of Azerbaijan, with a view to deal with the rising stream
of commerce and investments. So, German corporations are very sturdy in
this respect. And the third, and we talked about this earlier than, is
the entire sector of renewable power sources, the place German
corporations have so much to supply by way of expertise, and the place
Germany is, politically talking, a worldwide chief,” he
defined.
Speaking about essentially the most promising spheres of cooperation between
Germany and Azerbaijan, the ambassador highlighted a number of
fields.
“There are already, I feel, over 200 German corporations lively in
Azerbaijan. Around 170 are members of the Azerbaijani-German
chamber of commerce. So there’s already an amazing exercise happening.
And, I feel that significantly within the discipline of power and
renewables there’s the most important potential for the longer term. And then,
once more, once we have a look at the wants of Azerbaijan, what must be
carried out, I come again to the entire sector of infrastructure and
logistics,” he stated.
Regarding the restoration course of in Karabakh, and Germany’s
function in it, Horlemann famous that Germany sees monumental potential
for its corporations to take part within the reconstruction course of.
“When it involves the reconstruction course of in Karabakh, there
is a big potential for German corporations to take part, and the
sectors the place Germany is historically very sturdy, like machine
constructing, the automotive trade, chemical trade and
electronics,” he stated.
Germany can be significantly desirous about such sectors as
sustainable cities, which works along with renewable power
sources and the idea of good cities, then, something that goes
right down to fundamental infrastructure and logistics, Horlemann famous.
“A German firm, for instance, took half within the building of
Fuzuli airport. I feel, in Karabakh, there’s a have to assemble
roads, and entire cities, principally. That is the place German corporations
might have interaction and contribute so much,” he stated.
According to the ambassador, Germany, with its personal expertise of
reunification and reconstruction in East Germany, could be very properly
conscious of the magnitude of the duty forward of Azerbaijan in
reconstructing Karabakh.
“It is a big activity. And we additionally share the sentiments of the
Azerbaijani individuals regarding the significance of reconstruction,
as a result of, throughout the German reunification and the reconstruction
course of, there advanced numerous, let’s say, constructive power from
all sectors within the society to have interaction in reconstruction. So, we have now
nice sympathy and understanding of this case,” he stated.
As Horlemann famous, what’s necessary for an engagement of
German corporations within the reconstruction course of is a secure safety
scenario.
“Firstly, mine-clearance must be carried out. Secondly, there
must be a secure surroundings for investments. In that respect, a
peace settlement with Armenia can be of paramount significance in
order to create an surroundings that’s enticing for traders.
German traders all the time suppose long-term, that’s the reason they’re properly
recognized to be dependable companions in the long term,” he stated, including
that if Azerbaijan decides to go for main investments within the lengthy
run, a secure funding surroundings is essential.
The ambassador additionally identified the significance of demining
actions of the financial growth and the reconstruction of
Karabakh.
“Germany has been a pacesetter within the world effort to ban land
mines for a few years. And we have now been engaged in numerous areas
on this planet, in Europe within the Balkans, for instance, in Africa.
There is numerous information and expertise additionally amongst German
corporations, and there’s a lot of assist for multilateral
organizations, largely the UN, to financially assist demining
actions worldwide. We are doing the identical within the case of
Azerbaijan,” he stated.
As the ambassador famous, if Azerbaijan was to hitch the Ottawa
Convention to ban land mines, this might assist Germany to contribute
much more.
Further talking, Ambassador Horlemann stated that Germany could be very
optimistic to deepen the dynamic relations with Azerbaijan, which
developed over the past 30 years.
“Beyond commerce and economics, there’s in fact already numerous
cooperation within the cultural sector. There is a eager curiosity in
Germany to have interaction with Azerbaijan within the cultural discipline even
additional. We have simply began a brand new challenge on the restoration of
historic images within the Shirvanshakh museum. This is just not solely about
the restoration of images, but additionally about passing on the most effective
practices,” he stated.
As Horlemann famous, and this shouldn’t be underestimated, there
is a big change of individuals touring to Germany, and
Azerbaijan.
“Human contacts are crucial. There are a variety of German
and Azerbaijani twin cities which have very vigorous partnerships:
Baku with the town of Mainz, Sumgayit with Ludwigshafen. All this
is necessary to advertise contacts between the 2 societies and
individuals, which is virtually the idea of the whole lot we do
collectively,” he added.
Wrapping up, the ambassador highlighted the significance of the
upcoming celebration of the German Unity Day and famous that
Azerbaijan and Germany are celebrating the 30th
anniversary of their diplomatic relations this 12 months, and, of
course, each international locations have regained full sovereignty and their
independence and have become sturdy impartial states, and that has
been an excellent foundation for the event of the connection.
“Of course, for us Germans, the threerd of October, 1990,
when each Germanys have been reunited, is of very excessive historic and
political significance, as a result of it additionally signified the top of the Cold
War and the division of Europe. So, it has a European, and even a
world dimension. It was the top of the East-West confrontation,
and the wall got here down. We had a chance to reunite Europe as
a complete. Of course, with regards to the German reunification, and
then the reconstruction, I talked about it within the context of
Karabakh, there was no ready-made plan we had in our drawers. We
needed to improvise so much, which was additionally good, to some extent as a result of
we have been very versatile. But it was an enormous activity: the East German
financial system needed to change from a deliberate financial system to a market
financial system; hundreds of billions of Deutschmark and Euros have been
invested within the infrastructure, elevating the usual of dwelling of
the East Germans; East Germans gained their freedom in a single day, however
many additionally misplaced their jobs in a single day; we needed to introduce the
Deutschmark in East Germany as a standard foreign money; and so forth. This
is a generational activity, one thing you can’t conclude even in a
decade, it takes a complete technology. Yet, in fact, the method is
nonetheless ongoing. But we have now come a good distance with bringing each components
of Germany collectively. It has been a hit story. Now, what does it
must do with Azerbaijan? Azerbaijan gained its independence
roughly one 12 months after German reunification, so, just about the
identical time. We are celebrating the 30th anniversary of
our diplomatic relations this 12 months, and, in fact, each international locations
have regained full sovereignty and their independence and develop into
sturdy impartial states, and that has been an excellent foundation for
the event of our relationship. Our relationship has developed
very dynamically, and we’re very optimistic that we will proceed
on that street,” he concluded.
