Azerbaijan's energy policies in the Caspian Region in the first decade of its independence

Petroleum has a wider usage area rather than other energy sources and is one of the world's leading energy sources. The onset of industrialization, the rapid rise in consumption and the inability to find alternatives to petroleum energy sources have brought oil to occupy an important place among raw materials starting from the end of the nineteenth century. Historically, the territory of the Azerbaijan Republic has had a high potential in terms of underground resources. More than half of the country's land has been very rich in oil, which is the most important place among these resources. Most of the oil production is extracted from the Caspian Sea. It has played an important role in the economy of Azerbaijan, where the commercial production of oil has started since the 1870s, and after independence, it has been the main source of income of the country and the basis of exports. In addition, in the study, the oil industry of Azerbaijan from the 19th century to the present has been examined and the speed and dimensions of its development have been determined in the light of the data obtained as a result of this study. Our study has examined all stages of the Azerbaijan oil industry with a history of more than 170 years and the current situation has been evaluated. In addition, in this study, foreign and domestic investments in the oil sector were discussed, the contribution of these investments to the economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan was touched, the tenders and agreements made by foreign oil companies in Azerbaijan were touched, and the effects of foreign capital on the energy sector were tried to be reflected. In addition, the routes chosen for the transportation of the energy resources of the Caspian region to international markets were investigated and the advantages of the preferred routes for the states of the region were emphasized. It was stated that if Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan managed their energy resources properly, they would both strengthen their independence and ensure economic stability.