The Iğdır-Nakchivan Natural Gas Pipeline will bring previous strategic initiatives between Türkiye and Azerbaijan in the energy sector to fruition, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Wednesday.
"Today, we are actualizing a project for our countries that will guarantee Nakhchivan's energy security for a long time," Erdoğan said via videoconference at the opening ceremony of the pipeline with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
"It will also serve as a symbol of our shared destiny with Nakhchivan," Erdoğan added.
Expressing his happiness on hosting Aliyev in Ankara, Erdoğan said the relations between their countries continue to develop across a wide range of areas, from defense to trade.
*Erdoğan stated that the energy sector, which has been "crowned" with many projects, is at the forefront of these collaborations.
He added that they are working to advance energy cooperation by implementing projects such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Crude Oil Pipeline, "which some once saw as a dream," the commissioning of the Shah Deniz Gas Field, and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum Natural Gas Pipeline.
Erdoğan also noted that a significant amount of Azerbaijani natural gas is being delivered to Europe through the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP).
Türkiye is in complete harmony with Azerbaijan in launching strategic and groundbreaking projects in the energy field, Erdoğan said, expressing satisfaction over the addition of a new project to this cooperation.
Erdoğan said Ankara and Baku are determined to jointly implement all kinds of projects for regional peace, prosperity and stability.
Referring to the 80-kilometer-long (50-mile) pipeline built by BOTAS with a capacity of transporting up to 2 million cubic meters of natural gas daily, Erdoğan underlined that this pipeline will meet Nakhchivan's entire natural gas demand for at least 30 years.
Erdoğan said both Türkiye and Azerbaijan are on the side of "peace, tranquility, and prosperity," adding: "We only want peace in our region. We want cooperation and to advance together."
"For this purpose, we have taken many steps so far. We have shown our sincerity," he added.
"Just as Azerbaijan stood by us during our toughest days, including the Feb. 6 earthquakes, we will always be there for our brothers whenever they need us. God willing, we will continue this process by strengthening our electricity connections with Nakhchivan," he added.
After the speeches, Erdoğan and Aliyev joined via videoconference the Opening ceremony of the Iğdır-Nakhchivan Natural Gas Pipeline.
