(SHUSHA, AZERBAIJAN) – Azerbaijan has increased natural gas supplies to the European Union by 65 percent since the start of Russia’s full invasion of Ukraine, and the country stands ready to raise production further, President Ilham Aliyev said during the IV Global Media Forum in Shusha.
Speaking to journalists at the event, Aliyev stated that European demand for Azerbaijani gas rose sharply after the outbreak of the war. The European Commission asked Baku to increase output as quickly as possible, a request that Azerbaijan acted on. Supply volumes to the EU have already grown by 65 percent and will continue to rise, the president said.
Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan has the capacity to expand production through several routes. These include the launch of the new ACG Deep Gas field, higher output at existing fields, and the development of renewable energy sources that would free up additional gas volumes for export.
The immediate obstacle, he explained, is the limited capacity of the existing gas transport network. Expanding that infrastructure is necessary, but Europe’s green agenda presents a financing challenge. European banks are reluctant to fund projects linked to fossil fuels, which raises the question of where the money for pipeline capacity expansion will come from.
The Azerbaijani president also stressed that Baku wants long term agreements with European partners. Such contracts would give the country the confidence needed to recover large investments in production increases. He posed the question of what would happen if, after significant investment, partners were to say the gas was no longer required. That is why long term deals are essential, he said.
Beyond the European market, Aliyev pointed to ongoing efforts to diversify energy exports. Azerbaijan has already begun gas deliveries to Syria and is examining the possibility of using Syria as a gateway to markets elsewhere in the Middle East.
The statements were made at the IV Global Media Forum, held in the Azerbaijani city of Shusha on 13 and 14 July. The forum focused on the role of media in promoting peace, rebuilding trust and countering disinformation. It brought together representatives from 150 leading media outlets, international organisations, academic circles and expert communities from 54 countries.
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