The G20 summit has ended in Antalya, Turkey, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was also invited to it. Experts have called his appearance at the summit a milestone event, since Azerbaijan was invited not only because it has good relations with the host of the summit - Turkey - but also because it became the key player in the South Caucasus region, which provides the energy security of many European countries and actively cooperates with Russia.
On the sidelines of the summit, Ilham Aliyev held short meetings with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Vladimir Putin, Barack Obama, David Cameron, Angela Merkel, as well as Italian Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, head of the Cabinet of Malaysia, Najib Razak, and the head of the European Council, Donald Tusk.
At the working lunch in the framework of the summit, Aliyev reminded that Azerbaijan is the first country where oil was produced since the middle of the 19th century. Oil production on the Apsheron Peninsula became widespread in the middle of the 20th century. In the 21st century, the Southern Gas Corridor project is implemented with the active participation of Azerbaijan and Turkey. It will connect the Caspian and the Mediterranean Seas for the first time in history.
The Caspian Sea has no outlet to the World Ocean, but even in these circumstances Azerbaijan supplies its natural resources to the world. The proven gas reserves of Azerbaijan are estimated at 2.6 trillion cubic meters. The potential reserves amount to 5 trillion cubic meters. "This amount is enough for us, our neighbors and European consumers for at least 100 years. This is the project of energy security. Today the issue of energy security cannot be viewed separately from the country's national security. This is the project of diversification. In this case, it means not only diversification of routes, but also of sources. Our route is new to Europe. The project will completely change the energy map of Europe. Azerbaijan has already proved itself to be a reliable partner. Of course, we must ensure the interests of the transit countries, consumers and producing countries. To achieve these goals, we must create favorable conditions for all parties," Ilham Aliyev stated.
On the sidelines of the summit, Ilham Aliyev also spoke about the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh, stating that Azerbaijan is one of the countries suffering from terrorism, and that terrorism is an integral part of the occupation policy of Armenia against Azerbaijan. The head of state added that more than two thousand of his compatriots died at the hands of Armenian terrorists.
Regarding the issue of the occupation of Azerbaijani lands, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev noted that today 20% of the country has been seized, a policy of ethnic cleansing is carried out. As a result of the occupation, Azerbaijan faced a humanitarian catastrophe, nearly a million Azerbaijanis were driven from their native lands. Despite the fact that over 20 years ago the UN Security Council adopted four resolutions demanding the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, Armenia still ignores them. Ilham Aliyev drew the attention of the heads of state to the fact that the Armenian side does not comply with the decisions taken by the international organization number one in the world, stressing that the Karabakh conflict should be resolved in accordance with international law, on the basis of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity.
The Azerbaijani President also expressed his condolences to the Turkish and French peoples in connection with the terrorist attacks and went on a working visit to France to participate in the Leaders Forum of the 38th session of the General Conference of UNESCO.
