Azerbaijan to increase gas supplies to EU countries - Aliyev
BAKU. July 13 (Interfax) - Azerbaijan has the potential to expand production and increase its level of gas exports, and plans to increase its supplies to European Union countries, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said.
"We have started gas exports to Austria and Germany this year. This is a part of our overall strategy to strengthen our presence in the European and global markets. The European market is a premium market, the best prices are there, and naturally, we are interested in expanding our capabilities there. We are also conducting negotiations with other members of the European Union. Negotiations are underway regarding both the initiation of supply and the increase of volumes, and there are requests in this regard," Aliyev said at a media forum in Shusha on Monday.
Azerbaijan will increase gas production from existing fields and launch new fields in the coming years, he said.
To increase the level of gas supplies to Europe, it is necessary to expand infrastructure, Aliyev said. The current infrastructure was designed before the start of the conflict in Ukraine, he said. After the start of this conflict, "demand for Azerbaijani gas sharply increased. The European Commission appealed to us that Azerbaijan should do everything possible to increase production. Compared to 2022, we increased exports to the European Union by 65%, and this figure will continue to grow," he said.
Another problem is the EU's green agenda and the lack of interest among European banks in financing projects to create infrastructure for gas supplies, he said. "The other issue, which is, of course, probably even more important, is long-term contracts. We also discussed this with Mrs von der Leyen," he said.
Aliyev emphasized that Azerbaijan, through the implementation of renewable energy projects, plans to save 2-3 billion cubic meters of gas. "By 2032, we will bring the volume of renewable energy to 8 gigawatts," he said.
As reported, Azerbaijan exported around 25 bcm of gas to Europe in 2025.
The 4th Shusha Global Media Forum is being held on July 13-14, 2026, in the city of Shusha in Karabakh.
