Details added (first version posted on 9:48)
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 29
Trend:
Marking the opening ceremony of the Southern Gas Corridor today, on this historic day, shows how timely and wise this step is, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said.
He made the remarks in Baku May 29 at the commissioning ceremony of the first stage of the Southern Gas Corridor project, which implies the supply of Azerbaijan’s gas to Europe.
"Azerbaijan’s successful oil and gas policy shows that the Azerbaijani people are able to use their natural resources only in conditions of independence," the president said.
“The history of oil in the world started from Azerbaijan,” President Aliyev said. “In 1846, for the first time ever, oil was extracted through an industrial method in Azerbaijan, in Baku.”
"The monument in honor of this historic event was erected several years ago in the center of our city,” he added. “Azerbaijan ensured most of the world's oil production during that period in the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century."