Speech by Ilham Aliyev at the groundbreaking ceremony of the new Baku International Trade Seaport

Dear friends, it is a historic day today. We are laying the foundation for a new international commercial seaport in the Alat settlement of Baku. Let me warmly congratulate all of you on this wonderful occasion. I am confident that a magnificent and modern commercial seaport meeting the highest standards will soon emerge on this wasteland.

Work on establishing the commercial seaport is under way. Design work has been completed and research conducted to select a location. All this is clearly shown in the presentation. The choice of this place is not accidental. Of course, a special role in the choice of the place has been played by the acceptable conditions in this part of the sea, as well as the fact that the area is linked with all the main roads. There are convenient road links in the northern, southern and western directions from this part of Baku. An important role in choosing this place has also been played by the presence of the railway.

In short, I am sure that a grandiose and multifunctional new port will be built on the Caspian coast in the near future as scheduled. There is a great need for such a port because the current Baku seaport does not meet our requirements. It is located in the heart of the city and certainly creates problems for residents. If we consider that a project to expand and extend the Baku boulevard is being developed, the relocation of the seaport will create better opportunities for people’s recreation.

On the other hand, the current Baku seaport was built in the 1930s and was reconstructed at certain stages afterwards. But it no longer meets the requirements of current or future development of Azerbaijan. Therefore, the main objective in establishing a seaport here is to address the issues of transport safety in Azerbaijan, turn Baku into a modern and large transport and logistical center in the Caspian basin, expand cooperation among littoral countries and eventually create conditions for the functioning of the North-South and East-West transport corridors.

All work is being done in Azerbaijan in accordance with world standards in recent years. We are very serious about major investment projects, conduct comprehensive research and attract foreign experts. A well-known international company was involved in designing this port. In other words, our approach is that all the infrastructure being created in Azerbaijan must meet international standards and have a long-term value. The seaport being constructed will serve Azerbaijan for decades and thus enhance our economic strength.

I am very pleased that the launch of the commercial seaport will provide jobs to 1400 Azerbaijani citizens at the first stage and 3,000 afterwards. This in itself will contribute to the solution of major social issues. In particular, people living in the Alat settlement will be able to work here. In short, this remote part of Azerbaijan will start developing, a process of rapid recovery will begin here. Azerbaijan’s geographical position is such that we are at the intersection of all roads. This is our advantage.

However, a favorable geographical location alone does not yet mean that a city or country can automatically turn into a regional center. It is infrastructure projects, namely the funds invested in the transport sector in recent years and the ongoing work that have transformed Baku into a regional transport hub. Following the commissioning of the new port our role in these matters will further increase. We must bear in mind that the port under construction will hold a special place among the world's largest ports. Thus, Azerbaijan will demonstrate its capacities in the international arena again.

In the future, as a result of the deepening cooperation in the Caspian basin and the implementation of economic reforms, we expect even more active interaction. Economic development in Caspian littoral countries is ongoing. There is a very fruitful friendship between these countries, i.e. our neighbors, and Azerbaijan. A summit of Caspian littoral states will be held in Baku this month. I do hope that the summit will be successful and serve the deepening of cooperation among all countries. These countries have a very powerful economic and industrial potential. Caspian littoral states have natural resources which play an indispensable role from the standpoint of energy security in the world. We aim to further deepen our cooperation in the energy sector.

Without the transport infrastructure, the implementation of these projects would be impossible. This is why we have to use our geographical location very efficiently, and we are doing that. Azerbaijan is creating a strong transport infrastructure. Today we are building modern highways connecting our country with the three neighboring states. In the northern and western directions this work is practically over. These highways will be fully commissioned in the near future. Work is under way in the southern direction, and I hope that the southern highway will also be commissioned in accordance with the highest standards within two years.

Major investment will be made in the railway transport in Azerbaijan, a special program has been adopted. So far the work is being done at a high level, but the bulk of it will be carried out in the coming years. Large investments have been made in the air transport. Azerbaijan has four international airports built in recent years.

Azerbaijan’s maritime transport has a long history and tradition. Our sailors play a special role in the Caspian basin, we have purchased tankers and dry-cargo vessels over the past few years. Thus, our role in the Caspian Sea continues to grow. In other words, very active and great work has been done to broaden and strengthen the entire transport infrastructure. We have invested heavily with this aim. I can say that most of this investment has been made from our own resources. At the same time, we cooperate with international financial institutions.

Azerbaijan’s overall economic development and financial resources are enabling us to receive financial resources of any amounts from international financial institutions and bring them to the country. Thus, our cooperation with international financial institutions is further expanding.

We are currently working hard on what we believe is a highly important railway project for the region and the whole of Europe. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is under construction. This project, as you may know, was the subject of discussion for many years. However, serious practical steps were not taken. In recent years, thanks to the joint efforts of the three countries involved, certain steps towards implementing the project have been taken. Azerbaijan, for its part, has attracted financial resources to the project. Today, the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is successfully under way. I am confident that the countries which used to stay away from the project before will be using its opportunities too.

Most importantly, this project will significantly enhance Azerbaijan’s transport capacities, further strengthen our role as a regional transportation hub, link Europe with Asia by means of a reliable and high quality railway. All these factors have necessitated the construction of a new and modern commercial seaport in Azerbaijan. The schedule and pace of the work are interconnected. I do hope that these projects will be implemented on schedule. Thus, a completely new situation will emerge in the transport sector of the region. We are creating this situation ourselves, by specific steps and a sound policy. These realities create growing economic opportunities for Azerbaijan. Without financial opportunities we could never realize these important projects. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is being built thanks to significant financial support from Azerbaijan.

Hundreds of millions of manats will be spent on the construction of this grandiose seaport. It was noted in the presentation that this process would consist of three stages. All questions relating to the completion of the first stage have been taken into account. Sufficient funds are envisaged in the investment program for next year. We have technical capacities, and I am sure we can get the job done on time. So the port will be operational before 2014. As stated in the presentation, an additional 10 million tons of cargo will pass through the port at the first stage. In the future, if necessary, the processing capacity of the port can be further increased by two or more times.

I do believe that Azerbaijan’s successful economic development, our growing capabilities and the projects planned in neighboring countries will allow us not to limit our activities to only the first stage in the construction. There will be second and third stages. But for this, of course, the volume of cargo must be increased. The Caspian Sea is a sea of friendship and cooperation. We proceed from this standpoint when working in the Caspian Sea. I am convinced that the successful development of littoral countries will deepen cooperation in this region.

It is indeed a very auspicious day today, as we celebrate the beginning of a project that represents tremendous importance. This seaport will certainly serve Azerbaijan. But I want to say again that the value of this port is not measured by the interests of only one country. This port, I am sure, will give great impetus to economic development, further expand our capabilities, enhance the role of Azerbaijan as a reliable partner and serve our people for decades to come.

As a result of the opening of an energy corridor, we once entered a new stage of cooperation in the region. The vast energy projects being implemented on Azerbaijan’s initiative today are not only a source of income for us. They represent a great value also in terms of regional cooperation. This has led to the opening of new roads and lines, this project was followed by others. The opening of the energy corridor is followed by the opening of a transport one. Thus, both Azerbaijan’s energy and transport security will be fully secured.

I do hope that all our objectives will be met in a timely manner and with high quality. I want to reiterate that we have treated this project with great attention. We are applying modern approaches to highly important national projects in the construction sector. All the details are carefully analyzed, researches undertaken, leading foreign specialists attracted to the work. The work is done comprehensively. We know and study the existing practices. Therefore, I have no doubt that this port will be constructed at the level of world standards. It will be noted for its beauty and functional significance.

Dear friends, I want to cordially congratulate you again on this wonderful event. This is a very significant event in the history of the country. This day and the day in 2014 when the port will be commissioned will enter the history of Azerbaijan. We and the future generations will see the result of this fine work. Azerbaijan will become an even more powerful state, our standing in the region will be further strengthened, regional cooperation will go even more rapidly and we will achieve new victories. Once again I congratulate you and wish you further success. Thank you.