New bill with U.S. in energy sector discussed

TDeputy Energy Minister of Azerbaijan Gulmammad Javadov made the remarks at a round table on “Reforms in the energy market of Azerbaijan” on January 18.

The event, which discussed the bill on the electricity market, was attended by the U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Robert Cekuta, representatives of government agencies, international organizations and experts.

“Supporting the country’s sustainable energy security, efficient management and improving the quality of electricity supply is the goal of reforms in this sector. Support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and a bill prepared with the assistance of foreign and local experts will facilitate the liberalization of the energy market in Azerbaijan and creation of a competitive environment,” the deputy minister said.

Cekuta, in turn, assessed the bill as a contribution to energy cooperation and added that if the draft law on the electricity market is adopted and fully implemented, it will render great assistance in the development of the energy sector and the economy of Azerbaijan, which will give a new impetus to new investments in the electric power system.

USAID technical assistance to the Ministry of Energy has begun in 2016. During the same period, the parties agreed to cooperate in the preparation of the draft law “On the Electricity Market” in support of the Government’s reform program.

The USAID is an independent agency of the U.S.federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. With a budget of over $27 billion, USAID is one of the largest official aid agencies in the world, and accounts for more than half of all U.S. foreign assistance (which in absolute dollar terms is the highest in the world).

The U.S. Government has three long-term strategic interests in Azerbaijan: security, energy, and internal reform.

The overall objective of USAID’s assistance in Azerbaijan is to support Azerbaijan’s reform processes by promoting competition and pluralism in the society, laying the foundations for a sustainable market-based democracy. To accomplish this objective, USAID partners with the Government of Azerbaijan, regional governments, the private sector and a wide range of civil society organizations.

USAID provides development assistance in three major areas: supporting the growth of the non-oil sector; strengthening participatory and transparent democratic and governance processes; and strengthening health care systems.