As part of the strategy to open up new markets and expand in Central Asia, Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan signed an agreement on cooperation in the fields of oil, petrochemicals, natural gas, electricity and renewable energy.

Under the agreement, Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan will also work on technologies such as carbon capture and storage to mitigate the effects of climate change. The agreement was signed by Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov at a meeting in Riyadh.

The two countries also agreed to hold workshops, seminars and conferences on energy-related matters. Saudi Arabia has recently signed a number of strategic agreements with countries in the region and beyond. In early May, Saudi Arabia's energy minister said that Saudi Arabia's interest in energy cooperation with Arab countries is part of its policy of strengthening deep relations in various fields.

Saudi Arabia has signed a number of memorandums of understanding in the energy sector with Arab countries such as Egypt, Oman, Jordan and Iraq. The minister added that the MoU aims to strengthen cooperation in related fields such as electricity, renewable energy, clean hydrogen, oil and gas, and petrochemicals. In April, Saudi Arabia and the Netherlands held talks to deepen cooperation in multiple fields, with energy and clean hydrogen as the top priorities.

The talks led to the signing of a memorandum of understanding to cooperate in the development of clean energy. Commenting on the deal, the Saudi energy minister said the Netherlands could be the main destination for hydrogen from Saudi Arabia to Europe for renewable energy. He also noted that the Netherlands and Germany would be Saudi Arabia's "natural partners" in the green hydrogen trade.Editor/XingWentao