During his speech at the International Conference “Oil and Gas of Turkmenistan – OGT 2025” in Ashgabat, Orkhan Zeynalov, Deputy Minister of Energy of Azerbaijan, called for a pragmatic and balanced approach in global energy policy, emphasizing that traditional hydrocarbon resources remain indispensable for ensuring global energy security.
Zeynalov noted that lessons from recent years have shown that energy security can no longer be taken for granted, and reliable supplies of oil and gas play a vital role. He warned against radical approaches to the energy transition.
“A model that completely excludes hydrocarbons at this stage is unrealistic,” the speaker stated. He stressed that a unilateral approach to the energy transition could pose serious risks to energy security.
To substantiate this position, Zeynalov presented compelling data on the share of traditional resources in the global energy mix:
- Over the past 30 years, the overall share of hydrocarbons in the primary energy mix has changed by only 5 percent.
- Today, hydrocarbons account for 80% of primary consumption in the USA, 90% in China, and 70% in the European Union.
“This figure speaks for itself. Alternative energy resources do not replace traditional ones; they complement them,” Zeynalov concluded.
Azerbaijan’s Role in a Balanced Approach
In the context of this balanced approach, Azerbaijan, according to the Deputy Minister, acts today as a strategic supplier of gas to Europe and other regions. He stressed that natural gas will become a “key part of the puzzle” in the future energy mix, as it is the cleanest of the fossil fuels.
Furthermore, Azerbaijan is actively developing energy cooperation in the region, where Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and the wider Caspian region are transforming into a unified geopolitical space. For Azerbaijan, this includes traditional partnerships with Turkmenistan, where vast opportunities remain for developing hydrocarbon fields, joint electricity generation, and its delivery to world markets. ///nCa, 22 October 2025