ALIYEV SAYS AZERBAIJAN WILL HAVE OWN GAS RESOURCES IN ONE YEAR

Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran
Nov 8 2006

Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev met the chairperson of the Belgian
Senate, Ms Ann Mary Lizin, in Brussels Tuesday afternoon and discussed
bilateral ties, energy and regional developments with her.

According to a press release of the Belgian Senate, Aliyev in
the meeting said Armenia "would like to create a new state in
Nagorno-Karabakh."

"The President wanted nevertheless to underline that the region,
even if it is currently occupied by Armenia, is historically part
of Azerbaijan and that it is too small in any case to be viable,"
said the press release.

The Azeri president, said the press release, then regretted that Russia
applied different rates for its gas supplied to Armenia (110 dollars)
and to Azerbaijan (230 dollars).

Aliyev was very pleased with the fact that his country will be able
to have its own gas resources in a year.

Discussions essentially focussed on the geo-political and economic
consequences of the newly completed BTC oil pipeline which leaves
Azerbaijan, crosses Georgia and ends in Turkey, added the press
release.

Aliyev, who is currently visiting Brussels, signed Tuesday a
memorandum of understanding on an energy partnership between the EU
and Azerbaijan.

"Oil in the Caspian region in the future will be produced in big
quantities. So there will be enough oil to supply the various routes,"
said Aliyev after the signing ceremony with European Commission
President Jose Manuel Barroso.

"For us, it is also very important to have alternative sources of
supply. Today, we have three pipelines from Azerbaijan to Europe. If
we have another one, we will only benefit from it," he added, referring
to the planned pipeline between Azerbaijan and Ukraine.