Azerbaijan may expand gas exports to Middle East via pipelines, swaps - Aliyev
BAKU. Aug 27 (Interfax) - Azerbaijan may increase gas supplies to Syria and export gas to other countries in the Middle East via pipelines or by other means, including swaps, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said.
"Our main destination for natural gas is Europe. We supply gas to ten European countries, eight of which are EU members. For these countries, Azerbaijani gas truly plays an important role in ensuring their energy security, and this role will grow. I have already publicly announced our plans for the coming years. By 2030, we will guaranteed receive an additional 8 billion cubic meters of gas on top of what we have today. And the question is how to use this volume and in which direction to supply it," Aliyev said in an interview with the Al Arabiya television channel.
From the perspective of geographical supply, entering the Middle East with its own natural resources is a first-time experience for Azerbaijan, he said.
"We believe we can increase gas supplies to Syria, as well as supply gas to other countries via the Arabian [Arab] gas pipeline or by other means; for example, through swap practices. We also trade energy resources. That is, we not only sell our own oil and gas but also function as an international trader. So our potential is greater than one might imagine, and I think this is an important factor," Aliyev said.
Supplies to Syria of 1.2 bcm of natural gas per year have been agreed upon, he said.
"But their needs are higher. Therefore, in the future, we can increase supply to reduce their deficit," he said.
Speaking about relations with Middle Eastern countries, primarily with the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Aliyev characterized them as "very good, very friendly" and results-oriented.
"We have very strong partnerships with these countries. And by the way, our main investors in the field of renewable energy are companies from the UAE and Saudi Arabia. They are our main investors. They are already investing," Aliyev said.
Cooperation in the field of renewable energy is an important component of Baku's relations with the Gulf countries, he said.
Azerbaijan has contracts to supply gas to 12 countries in Europe, namely Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, Slovakia, North Macedonia, Germany and Ukraine. The annual volume should gradually increase to 15 terawatt-hours (TWh), which is around 1.5 billion cubic meters, specifically including long-term contracts with a fixed supply volume to Italy, Greece, and Bulgaria, and with Germany's Securing Energy for Europe GmbH (SEFE) for 10 years. Contracts without exact purchase volumes have been signed with the remaining countries.
Azerbaijan also exports gas to Turkey via the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) and South Caucasus Pipeline (SCP), and to Georgia via the SCP and Gazimagomed-Gazakh pipeline.
In addition, Azerbaijan started exporting gas to Syria on August 2, 2025. At the initial stage, the supply volume is 1.2 bcm per year (3.4 million cubic meters per day) with a subsequent increase to 2 bcm per year (6 million cubic meters per day). Azerbaijani gas is delivered through Turkey's Kilis to power plants in Aleppo and Homs and is used for electricity generation. As a result, it plans to provide electricity generation capacity of 1.2-1.3 GW. The implementation of the project is expected to increase electricity supply to Syrian provinces to up to 10 hours per day. This will also provide electricity to around 5 million households.
Azerbaijan exported 25.2 bcm of gas in 2024, up 5.8% compared to 2023.
