2024-07-31 12:46:00
Source: Trend International Information Agency
Slovenia and Azerbaijan may sign a gas supply contract in the coming weeks.
As reported by Day.Az, Slovenian Minister of Environment, Climate and Energy Bojan Kumer said this in an exclusive interview with Trend during his visit to Baku.
Boyan Kumer noted that the purpose of his visit to Azerbaijan covers two main areas.
“Firstly, it is about continuing the promising dialogue on cooperation between Slovenia and Azerbaijan, especially in the field of energy. Secondly, it is about exchanging information on preparations for COP29, both on the state of play and on expectations ahead of this important conference. Last year, I attended COP28 in Dubai, which laid a solid foundation, and so we have very high hopes for this year. We made significant progress at last year’s Conference of the Parties, but we know that we cannot afford to stand still and we certainly cannot afford to retreat.
Therefore, Slovenia, as a member of the European Union, will actively contribute to the success of COP29. We must achieve a new financial target that will help developing countries implement their future climate policies and measures. Slovenia demonstrates its commitment to climate finance, as exemplified by, among other things, its commitment to the Loss and Damage Fund. As one of the smallest donors by country size, this commitment sends an important signal in a difficult multilateral situation,” he said.
Coomer noted that making progress on mitigation is also key.
“In the EU, we are currently discussing a new climate target for 2040, which will form the basis for an ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to be submitted on time. All these elements, together with the active continuation of last year’s first global stocktaking process, will form the package for a successful COP29. During a meeting with the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan, COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev, I was told that preparations are progressing very well. I offered him and his team any assistance from Slovenia,” Kumer said.
According to him, the Slovenian team is fully prepared to constructively participate in negotiations and political initiatives and contribute to the successful outcome of Azerbaijan’s chairmanship of the COP.
“We also welcome Azerbaijan’s initiative to hold the Day of Peace and Gender Equality. In addition, we actively support youth participation and civil society engagement in COP29. Last but not least, sectors such as water management and agriculture are of paramount importance for both Slovenia and Azerbaijan. We are committed to advancing programmes in these areas, recognizing that sectoral approaches are increasingly important in the fight against climate change,” he said.
The minister noted that the main purpose of his visit was to reach an agreement not only between the two governments or two ministries, but also between two state-owned companies: Geoplin, a key supplier of natural gas in Slovenia, and the state-owned company of Azerbaijan, SOCAR.
“It is very important for Slovenia to secure gas supplies from different sources, to diversify natural gas supplies, because Slovenia is a small country with a small economy, and in terms of gas we are completely dependent on imports from other countries. Azerbaijan, which is rich in gas reserves, represents an important opportunity to diversify our gas supplies. In this regard, Azerbaijan is a natural choice for us.
I am very pleased that we have signed a Memorandum of Understanding between SOCAR and Geoplin, which is supported by both governments, both responsible ministers. I told my colleague, Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov, that the Slovenian government fully supports Geoplin’s purchase of natural gas from SOCAR. This agreement is very important and is a key step towards signing a contract between the two companies,” Kumer said.
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