EU, Azerbaijan mull prospects for increasing gas export volumes from Caspian Sea

By Trend

Senior European Commission officials and Azerbaijan government representatives met May 13 to discuss energy issues in line with the EU-Azerbaijan Energy Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Trend reports with reference to the European Commission.

Reportedly, the meeting aimed to continue and reinforce cooperation in the energy sector with a view to underpinning the respective energy transitions while strengthening energy security.

“Following EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson’s participation in the Ministerial Meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council and the bilateral meetings between Commissioner Simson and the Azerbaijani authorities on 4 February 2022, a follow-up Energy MoU meeting took place today, co-chaired by Cristina Lobillo Borrero, Director for Energy Policy, Strategy and Coordination at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Energy, and Elnur Soltanov, Deputy Minister of Energy of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

In a context of heightened global energy challenges, stable bilateral energy relations and cooperation between the EU and Azerbaijan are a key factor contributing to competitive, diversified and secure gas supplies. The EU stressed the importance of secure gas supplies in line with REPowerEU priorities and presented its key energy efficiency measures and its hydrogen strategy for a climate-neutral Europe,” reads a message from the European Commission.

A dedicated meeting took place to discuss ongoing gas cooperation and prospects for increasing export volumes of Azerbaijani gas to the EU in line with production capacity and expansion scenarios for the Southern Gas Corridor. The EU stressed its strong interest and support for increased piped gas supply from the Caspian region as a key contribution to the diversification of energy sources in line with REPowerEU priorities.