President Ilham Aliyev stated that the global energy landscape has faced various scenarios, challenges, and complexities over the past 12 years, emphasizing Azerbaijan's resilience in navigating these periods.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that the head of state made these remarks during his speech at the 12th Ministerial Meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council and the 4th Ministerial Meeting of the Green Energy Advisory Council. President Ilham Aliyev highlighted that Azerbaijan now ranks first in the world based on the number of countries it supplies with gas via pipelines.
"As always, at the annual meeting of the Advisory Council, we review the work done since the last session and plan our future joint steps regarding the strengthening of our cooperation and partnership in the fields of energy security and sustainable energy supply," the President said. He noted that more than a decade has passed since the initiative began, and the importance of collective action in addressing energy security issues has become even more apparent compared to 12 years ago.
"Looking back at the last 12 years, we witness various scenarios, difficulties, and problems. However, despite all these challenges and the very difficult periods experienced in our region, the provision of energy security for a number of countries by Azerbaijan and its partners has indeed become a reality that we feel in our daily lives. Looking at the work done since our last meeting in Baku last year, we again witness progress. Every time, we speak specifically about progress," President Ilham Aliyev added. He further specified that while Azerbaijan supplied gas to 12 countries during the previous meeting, that number has now reached 16.
The Southern Gas Corridor is a strategic initiative aimed at bringing Caspian natural gas resources to European markets, significantly enhancing the energy security of the continent. Since the inauguration of the final segment, the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), in late 2020, Azerbaijan has consistently increased its export volumes. This expansion aligns with the strategic partnership memorandum signed between Azerbaijan and the European Union in 2022, which aims to double Azerbaijani gas exports to Europe by 2027 to reduce reliance on other sources.
