Azerbaijan

"Land of fire"

Nation: Azerbaijan National Day: 22.10.00

In the past, drilling for crude oil and natural gas was a dirty business, which caused a great deal of damage to the environment. Azerbaijan, one of the world's largest oil producers, demonstrates how these valuable mineral resources can be extracted without destroying nature.

Within the framework of its EXPO presentation, the "Land of Fire" shows examples of environmentally friendly processes from the country's petrochemical and chemical industries, which should serve as a model to other countries facing similar economic problems. In addition to environmental protection, Azerbaijan also plans to co-operate with neighbouring countries in the Caucasus in other industrial branches as well as in research projects. The intercontinental Transit Programme, presented by Azerbaijan, will go a long way towards facilitating this co-operation.