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Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, supplies of Azerbaijani natural gas to the European Union have grown by 65%, and Azerbaijan is ready to further increase production.
This was stated by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev while speaking with journalists at the 4th Global Media Forum in Shusha, an Ukrinform correspondent reports, as cited by UATV English.
“After the start of the Russian war, demand for Azerbaijani gas rose sharply. The European Commission asked us to increase production as quickly as possible. And we did. Gas supplies to the European Union have grown by 65%, and they will continue to grow,” Aliyev said.
According to him, Azerbaijan has the potential to further increase production through the launch of the new ACG Deep Gas field, expanded output at existing fields, and the development of renewable energy, which would free up additional gas volumes for export.
The Azerbaijani president noted that the main obstacle at present is the insufficient capacity of the existing gas transport infrastructure.
“The existing transport infrastructure needs to be expanded. But Europe’s ‘Green Deal’ is an obstacle. European banks are reluctant to finance projects tied to fossil fuels. So the question arises of where to source funding to increase pipeline capacity,” he noted.
Aliyev also stressed that Baku is interested in long-term agreements with European partners that would allow investments in increased production to pay off.
“Significant investment is needed to substantially increase production. But if at some point we’re told, ‘Thank you, we no longer need your gas,’ what then? That’s exactly why we need long-term contracts,” the president said.
He added that Azerbaijan is also working on diversifying its energy exports and has already begun supplying gas to Syria, and is considering the possibility of using Syria as a route to markets in the Middle East.
As previously reported, the 4th Global Media Forum, dedicated to the role of media in promoting peace, rebuilding trust, and countering disinformation, is taking place July 13–14 in the Azerbaijani city of Shusha. The event brings together representatives of 150 leading global media outlets, along with representatives of international organizations and the academic and expert community from 54 countries.
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