9th international Caspian Oil & Gas in Baku

The 9th international exhibition conference Oil & Gas Exhibition & Conference incorporating refining and petrochemicals opened at Baku's sports and concert complex Tuesday.

The event is organized by British Spearhead Exhibitions Ltd. and Azerbaijan's Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Spearhead Exhibitions managing director Susan Crauch and President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Suleyman Tatliyev said that a bumper number of companies, 300 from Azerbaijan, Austria, Belgium, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, the US, Turkey, Japan, and other countries, were taking part in the show.

A third of the companies are introduced for the first time in the Azeri show, where a wide spectrum of goods and services for oil and gas industry are put on display.

A two-day conference dedicated to the latest developments concerning field operations in the region and transportation issues was orginized as part of the exhibition. Over 20 reporters, including SOCAR President Natig Aliyev and former director of the International Oil and Gas Directorate of the British Government Kenneth Forest, addressed it. The second day of the conference will focus on international financial support and for the Caspian region and provision of its energy industry, as well as personnel selection and raising.

A Caspian financial workshop organized by the US embassy in Baku was held Tuesday within the show's framework to help US companies to affirm their positions in the Caspian region.

President Aliyev, British Minister for Energy and Industry Brain Wilson, Turkish Minister for Energy and Natural Resources Zeki Cakan, Italian Deputy Minister for Energy, Industry and Production Mario Vladucci, Iranian Deputy Minister for Oil, Vice-President of the Iranian National Oil Corporation Ahmad Rahgozara, Romanian State Secretary for Industry and Resources Andrey Grigorescu, US envoy on Caspian energy issues Steven Mann, and President of the Georgian Oil Corporation Georgiy Chanturiya took part in the opening ceremony of the Caspian Oil and Gas.

50 journalists from 20 countries are covering the event in an especially set up press center.

The opening

Speaking to the ceremony, President Aliyev noted participation of more and more companies in the Baku conference, which is turning into a worldwide event. The President recalled Baku's being a hub of oil and gas production in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, saying the work done in the years of independence is making the country one of the largest oil centers in the world.

"Azerbaijan's oil strategy is of great significance to the nations that show interest in energy resources. Yet, there are some who want to bar our cooperation", the Azeri leader indicated.

Touching upon the final stage for the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan main export pipeline and development of the Shahdaniz gas pipeline, President Aliyev said there are varying opinions on the projects in different oil and gas centers. "But, these variances are not going to stop us", he emphasized.

The President stressed the great success of the Contract of the Century promising a good number of crude. All these are a sequel to Azerbaijan's right oil policy, he highlighted.

Taking the floor then, US special envoy on Caspian energy issues Steven Mann read President Bush's regards to the participants in the conference.

The British contingent at the exhibition will be the largest to last year, as a number of British companies will exhibit for the first time.

Also attending the opening ceremony were energy ministers and public figures from Turkey, the UK, Italy, Iran, Norway, Romania, Georgia, and the US.