Republic of Azerbaijan, which recently acquired state independence, is the first to initiate the opening of the Caspian basin to the world. Exploitation of its oil and gas resources of Azerbaijan considers as the main tool of economic development and an important factor in strengthening employee security, sovereignty and independence of the country. During the period since the signing of the Contract of the Century "in 1994, Azerbaijan has signed over 20 agreements on the development of hydrocarbon deposits and spent enormous amount of work towards their realization. 
  
These contracts, signed with the United States, Britain, Italy, France, Norway, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Japan, and with companies in other countries, brought, bring, and will bring in foreign investments and profits in a huge amount. Thus, the course of the Azerbaijani government, aimed at attracting foreign and mostly Western companies in the implementation of energy projects of the Caspian Sea, and known as the "oil diplomacy", has brought and continues to bring its practical usefulness. 
  
However, these projects was not easy. Since 1994, ie after signing the contract of the century, as a result of interference by certain forces in this matter, in connection with the collapse of the Soviet Union, suddenly rose to the surface the issue of defining a new legal status of the Caspian Sea, and he was raised with a view to creating obstacles for Azerbaijan, any work in the sector of the Caspian Sea, to which he had a sovereign right and which is still in the former Soviet Union has been defined for it. But, as a result of the strong protection of Azerbaijan's positions, as well as bilateral agreements with Kazakhstan, and then with Russia, the principle of dividing the Caspian seabed into national sectors, which was an official supporter of the Baku, was adopted as a basis. It is hoped that negotiations continued with Turkmenistan and Iran, too, completed successfully, and thus for all the Caspian countries to open new horizons of cooperation in the direction of dynamic development. 
  
To deliver on the world market of Azerbaijani oil and, in general, hydrocarbon resources of the Caspian region in 1999 during the OSCE Istanbul summit, adopted a historic political statement on a strategic oil pipeline Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, which was signed by the presidents of Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia, Kazakhstan and the United States . A ceremony was held with participation of Presidents of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey in the Sangachal terminal in September 2002, marked the beginning of construction of the pipeline. Since that date, the construction of the pipeline is successfully continued, and in 2005 the pipeline had to start the export of Caspian oil to world markets through the Ceyhan terminal. And this, in turn, will allow Azerbaijan and throughout the region to embark on a qualitatively new stage of development.