Azerbaijan and the European Union are ready to expand cooperation in the supply of natural gas and renewable energy, according to a statement from Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Energy.
“The first meeting of the working group, established between Slovakia and the EU to discuss gas supply issues for Bratislava, was held in Brussels. Azerbaijan was represented by Deputy Minister of Energy Orkhan Zeynalov. The delegation also included Elshad Nasirov, Vice President for Investments and Marketing at the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR),” the Ministry of Energy reported.
On the European side, the negotiations were attended by Cristina Lobillo Borrero, Head of the Directorate-General for Energy at the European Commission, and Denisa Saková, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Slovakia.
“Representatives of the European Commission and Slovakia emphasized Azerbaijan’s strategic importance as a reliable partner in the energy sector. The participants expressed their readiness for joint activities and support for the development of cooperation in both natural gas supply and green energy,” the statement said.
During the meeting, the Azerbaijani side presented a report on the country’s gas potential and additional export opportunities to Europe.
“The necessary conditions for increasing supplies and developing infrastructure were also discussed. Zeynalov stated that Azerbaijan is ready to contribute to the dialogue on expanding cooperation with European partners and ensuring energy security,” the statement noted.
Azerbaijan has gas supply contracts with 10 European countries: Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, North Macedonia (under a memorandum), and Slovakia (short-term). Among these, three countries (Italy, Greece, and Bulgaria) have signed long-term contracts with fixed supply volumes, while the others have contracts without specified purchase volumes.
