Azerbaijan, Russia and Iran will create a working group to unite the energy systems of the three countries, the Azerbaijani Energy Ministry said.

The issue was discussed at a tripartite meeting of the three countries' deputy energy ministers in Baku.

The working group will consist of 18 people (six people from each country). The first meeting of the group will be held in July in Moscow. The group should also prepare technical tasks for feasibility study of integrating the electric power systems of the three countries and draft agreement on joint development of the feasibility study.

Azerbaijan's Deputy Energy Minister Natig Abbasov, addressing the meeting, noted that the three countries' current opportunities in the field of energy exports create conditions for establishing the North-South energy corridor.

Iran's Deputy Minister of Energy for electricity and energy affairs Homayoun Haeri, for his part, noted the Islamic Republic's interest in realizing and completing the process of uniting the country's energy system with the systems of Russia and Azerbaijan.

He said that all three countries have favorable opportunities for energy exchange.

Deputy Minister of Energy of Russia Anatoly Yankovsky also appraised the existing cooperation in the power sector, further noting the importance of taking concrete steps for this cooperation to cover all three countries.

The integration of the three countries' energy systems will create an opportunity for expanding export-import operations. Azerbaijan will strengthen its position as an electricity exporter and transit country.

AZERTAC