BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 27. A meeting dedicated to the environmental condition of the Caspian Sea and Baku Bay was held at the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Ali Asadov on January 27, 2026, Trend reports via the cabinet.
According to information, the meeting focused on the implementation of the Comprehensive Action Plan for 2025–2030, which covers the rehabilitation of the Caspian Sea. The plan includes the removal and isolation of damaged and decommissioned offshore infrastructure, including abandoned and decommissioned wells, piers, platforms, as well as sunken and partially sunken vessels, alongside broader efforts to improve the ecological situation in Baku Bay.
In his remarks, Prime Minister Asadov stated that aging and corroded hydrotechnical structures inherited from the Soviet era in Azerbaijan’s sector of the Caspian Sea, along with decommissioned or conserved oil wells and the impact of hydrometeorological factors, have created serious environmental risks. He also noted that prolonged anthropogenic pressure over many years has led to deeper pollution in Baku Bay, including the Seaside Boulevard area, making urgent environmental improvement measures necessary.
Presentations on the Comprehensive Action Plan were delivered by Elshan Hajizadeh, head of the Industry and Energy Department of the Cabinet of Ministers. Reports were also heard from Emergency Situations Minister Kamaladdin Heydarov, First Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Rashad Ismayilov, President of the Azerbaijan State Oil Company (SOCAR) Rovshan Najaf, and Chairman of the Board of Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Closed Joint-Stock Company (ASCO) Afgan Jalilov.
Issues related to improving the ecological condition of Baku Bay were additionally addressed in reports by Khanlar Aghalarov, chairman of the Seaside Boulevard Administration, and Zaur Mikayilov, chairman of the Azerbaijan State Water Resources Agency, along with other speakers.