Energy ministers of Azerbaijan and Iran met in China

Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov met with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Aliabadi in the framework of the “Belt and Road” conference in Qingdao, China.

The Azerbaijani minister assessed the meeting as effective, informing that they discussed issues of cooperation on joint projects in the energy sector.

“In particular, we discussed the implementation of Khudaferin, Gez Kalas, Ordubadi hydropower plants projects, as well as the integration of the energy networks of Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia,” Shahbazov wrote in X, noting that they also discussed the possibilities of electricity export and establishment of energy relations in the region. .

The Khudaferin bridge, located on the border of Iran, in the Jabrayil region, came under the control of Azerbaijan during the 44-day war. Before the war, despite Baku’s protest notes, a reservoir and a power plant were built in that section of the Araks River with Tehran’s funds, but the fact of Armenian control over those areas prevented Iran from exploiting them. After the end of the war, Azerbaijani and Iranian officials announced that they could now jointly use the Khudaferin reservoir and power plant across the Araks River.

On May 19 of this year, with the participation of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Iran, the commissioning ceremony of the Khudaferin dam and the opening of the Gez Kalas hydroelectric power station took place.

Later on the same day, it was reported that the helicopter carrying Ebrahim Raisi and several other officials made a “hard landing” on the way back. The president of Iran and all the people on the plane died.