EU and Azerbaijan discuss possibility of increasing gas supplies

Baku, February 18 - Neftegaz.RU. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said that the European Union has discussed with Azerbaijan and several other countries the possibility of increasing gas supplies, AzerNews has reported.
She said:

• Our models for a partial disruption or further reduction of gas supplies by Gazprom now show that we are now rather in a safe situation

She noted that the EU has discussed with Azerbaijan, the U.S., Qatar, Egypt, Nigeria and South Korea the possibility for an increase in supplies of both LNG and natural gas.
Von der Leyen noted;

• We also had a conversation with the main LNG suppliers and asked if it would be possible to divert supplies to the benefit of the EU

The European Commission president said these efforts are paying off, recalling Japan's decision last week to redirect some LNG shipments to Europe in response to EU and U.S. requests.

Additionally, she stated that the development of the European energy infrastructure in recent years has improved the distribution of gas and electricity between countries, but the complete cessation of Russian gas supplies will still require additional measures.

Azerbaijan and the EU have cooperation in different fields of economy.
The EU places a high value on energy supply diversification and the Southern Gas Corridor is particularly important in this regard.
Azerbaijan started commercial gas supplies to Europe through the TAP on December 31, 2020.

In 2021, European countries purchased 8.2 billion m³ of gas, with an increase in volume expected in the coming years.

The 8^th ministerial meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council, held in Baku on February 4, reaffirmed Azerbaijan and the European Union's strategic energy partnership, which is based on shared goals for long-term energy security and green energy transition.

Earlier, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in his interview stated that about 19 billion m³ of Azerbaijani gas will be exported in 2022.
Of this volume, more than 8 billion m³ will be exported to Turkey and more than 7 billion m³ to Italy.
The remaining gas will be divided between Georgia, Bulgaria, and Greece.