Fidan Bagirova

In recent weeks the Azerbaijani public has witnessed the start of a “new stage” of contract signing in the country. The previous tradition of a relatively open contract process has been replaced with a “new” process. Azerbaijani civil society had become accustomed to learning about signed Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs) right at the start of the process and was generally informed of when contract signing ceremonies would take place. However, recently two PSAs have been signed behind closed doors and the public only got wind of these deals 4 months later when the contracts were submitted to Parliament for ratification.

Azerbaijan is currently the only country with Compliant EITI country status. How on earth could these two processes be linked? Has the government reduced its interest towards EITI following its Validation? What should civil society do in such circumstances?

Fidan Bagirova is Coordinator of the Transparency of Oil Revenues and Public Finance Programme (TORPF) at the Open Society Institute-Assistance Foundation Azerbaijan. She can be contacted at fnajafova@osi-az.org. Read the public statement on “Stealth Oil Agreements” here.