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Kadri Simson: EU commitment to Azerbaijan is long-term, we are working with Azerbaijan on doubling our gas trade by 2027

01 March 2024 20:24 (UTC +04:00)

"Some in Europe thought that the Southern Gas Corridor was mission accomplished and would not require much attention going forward," European Union Commissioner for Energy, co-chair of the Advisory Council of the Southern Gas Corridor Mrs. Kadri Simson said as she delivered a speech the 10th Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council Ministerial Meeting and the 2nd Green Energy Advisory Council Ministerial Meeting, APA-Economics reports.

"I did not think that way. We always saw in Azerbaijan a trusted partner and in our cooperation a strong potential for expansion. When I came to my first meeting here in 2022, we discussed how best to tap into all the potential in our relations, how to expand the corridor to new markets, how to enlarge the scope of our relations to clean energy. And we made it happen," the Commissioner noted.

"Today, gas flows to Europe from the Southern Gas Corridor are 46% higher than in 2021. In 2023, the EU received almost 11 bcm of stable and secure gas supplies from Azerbaijan. And a growing number of EU Member States and enlargement countries are interested in receiving gas from Azerbaijan. As I said last year, you are becoming a pan-European supplier. That's why we are working on further extending these volumes together. We expect pipeline gas from Azerbaijan to play an important role in the European energy system during our energy transition. Faced with increased Russian violence and a continued unjustified war on our doorstep, it is increasingly clear that, for Europe, there will be no return to business as usual in its energy relations with Russia. That space is now filled by other trusted and reliable energy partners. And we found exactly that in Azerbaijan. I can assure you that the EU commitment to Azerbaijan is long-term. Which is why we are working with Azerbaijan on expanding the Southern Gas Corridor and doubling our gas trade by 2027. More importantly, the EU and Azerbaijan's strategic energy cooperation has shown all its flexibility and dynamism."