Southern Gas Corridor ministerial meetings in Baku focus on EU–Azerbaijan energy cooperation and security
The Facts
- On 3 March in Baku, Azerbaijan hosted the 12th ministerial meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor Consultative Council and the 4th ministerial meeting of the Green Energy Consultative Council.
- The meetings in Baku were attended by ministers, their deputies and other senior officials from 27 states including Azerbaijan and EU member countries, as well as representatives of 11 international financial institutions and organizations and 49 energy companies.
- EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen visited Baku to co‑chair the Southern Gas Corridor and Green Energy ministerial meetings and to strengthen the EU’s energy partnership with Azerbaijan.
- During his visit, Dan Jørgensen met Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and stated that the European Union is interested in expanding its energy partnership with Azerbaijan, emphasizing the significant potential for cooperation.
- EU representatives said the bloc has reduced its share of gas imports from Russia from about 45% before the Russia‑Ukraine conflict to around 10%, and credited partners including Azerbaijan for enabling this diversification.
- The European Union and Azerbaijan agreed to hold a high‑level energy dialogue in Brussels later this year to further develop their energy cooperation.
- Azerbaijan’s Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov and other Azerbaijani officials described Azerbaijan as a reliable and stable supplier of natural gas to Europe and noted that demand for Azerbaijani gas remains high.
- Azerbaijani and EU officials highlighted renewable and green energy as a growing area of cooperation, with EU Commissioner Dan Jørgensen saying Azerbaijan shows high potential in renewable energy that EU companies can help develop.
Context
What is the Southern Gas Corridor and why is it important for Europe?
The Southern Gas Corridor is a network of pipelines that transports natural gas from Azerbaijan to European markets, and it is discussed annually at ministerial meetings in Baku involving Azerbaijan, EU member states, international financial institutions and energy companies Oxu.Az,Report İnformasiya …. EU and Azerbaijani officials describe it as a strategic route that helps diversify Europe’s gas supplies away from Russia and enhances European energy security Oxu.Az,Oxu.Az,Anadolu Ajansı,NEWS.am.
How has EU–Azerbaijan energy cooperation changed since the Russia‑Ukraine conflict?
EU officials say the bloc has reduced its reliance on Russian gas from about 45% of imports before the Russia‑Ukraine conflict to around 10%, a shift they attribute in part to increased supplies from partners such as Azerbaijan Oxu.Az,NEWS.am. At the Baku meetings, both sides emphasized expanding gas deliveries and developing renewable energy projects, and agreed to launch a high‑level energy dialogue in Brussels later this year to deepen cooperation Oxu.Az,Interfax.ru,Report İnformasiya …,Report İnformasiya …,Report İnformasiya ….
What future energy projects did Azerbaijan outline at the Baku meetings?
Azerbaijani officials said the country plans to bring four new upstream projects into operation between 2026 and 2029, including first gas this year from free‑gas development at the Azeri‑Chirag‑Gunashli field, to strengthen production and export capacity Report İnformasiya …. President Ilham Aliyev also stated that a new phase of gas production at the Shah Deniz field is expected to start in 2028, which together with other projects could add 10–15 billion cubic meters of gas, supporting higher exports to Europe Report İnformasiya …,Report İnformasiya ….
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