As part of his visit to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev gave an interview to Azerbaijan Television on August 11.

AZERTAC presents the interview.

Journalist: Welcome, Mr. President. First of all, I would like to thank you for taking the time to give this interview despite your busy schedule. With your permission, we would like to proceed with the questions.

President Ilham Aliyev: Please, go ahead.

Journalist: This is your 17th visit to Nakhchivan, and during this visit, we witnessed a number of very important events. Overall, how would you assess the details, outcomes, and results of the visit?

President Ilham Aliyev: In fact, my visit and the events I attended during it are an indication in themselves. They once again demonstrate that the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is developing comprehensively. As you mentioned, this is my 17th visit to Nakhchivan as President, and each of my visits has been of great significance and produced important results.

Over these years, many important projects have been implemented, and the overall development of Nakhchivan has been ensured. Today’s events are, in a sense, a continuation of the work accomplished, and naturally, the necessary decisions will continue to be made in the future to ensure the rapid socio-economic development of Nakhchivan.

Over these years, strengthening Nakhchivan’s defense potential was, of course, one of the foremost priorities. Significant work has also been carried out in this direction, and today, at the Battle Flag presentation ceremony, Nakhchivan’s military strength was once again demonstrated—both through the supply of equipment, particularly state-of-the-art equipment, and through the establishment of new commando forces. This is also a trend we have recently observed in the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan.

As you know, the Separate Combined Arms Army was established in Nakhchivan by my Order. This army is, naturally, an integral part of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan. However, Nakhchivan’s specific circumstances, its geography, and the absence of a geographical connection with mainland Azerbaijan have led us to pay greater attention to the security of this region, of the autonomous republic, and this will always be the case. Therefore, this is the primary condition. As I noted today, the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan have a decisive say in the region. In particular, the military potential in Nakhchivan is being strengthened day by day and will continue to be strengthened.

As for the other events, I can, of course, particularly highlight the work carried out and planned in the area of job creation. Today, the foundation stone of the Nakhchivan Industrial Park was laid. On my instructions, many industrial parks have been established in Azerbaijan, and in terms of territory, the Nakhchivan Industrial Park is second only to the Sumgayit Industrial Park. As I said, its foundation stone has been laid, and I am confident that practical work at this Industrial Park will begin shortly.

At the same time, as an integral part of this Park, a 300-megawatt Thermal Power Plant will be constructed. I should mention that Nakhchivan’s generation capacity is currently approximately 200 megawatts. A single power plant will increase this capacity by 1.5 times. Naturally, this plant will serve two purposes: first, to provide the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic with a sustainable energy supply, and second, to facilitate electricity exports.

If there are few countries in our region today that do not face problems with electricity supply, Azerbaijan is foremost among them. For one reason or another, an energy crisis is being experienced in our region, and this crisis may deepen due to the ongoing wars in our region, increasing risks, disruptions to transport chains related to the transportation of energy resources, and other factors. It cannot be ruled out that new unpleasant events may occur in the future. Therefore, Azerbaijan’s special role in this regard is undeniable. We must ensure that Nakhchivan’s continuous and sustainable energy supply is never disrupted.

For these purposes, at the time, again on my initiative, we signed a gas swap agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Under this agreement, a gas pipeline was constructed from Iran to Azerbaijan, while gas transportation from Azerbaijan’s Astara district into Iranian territory was also ensured. In other words, we provided Nakhchivan with a 100-percent gas supply through swaps.

In parallel, we carried out gasification. For several years now—I can say approximately 15 years, perhaps even longer—gasification in Nakhchivan has stood at 100 percent. Overall, the gasification rate across Azerbaijan is 96 percent, which is also a very high figure. However, in Nakhchivan, it has already reached 100 percent. This was also a step aimed at ensuring energy security.