By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan and the European Commission have signed a memorandum of understanding on strategic cooperation in the energy field, Azernews reports.

The document was signed by Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev and European Commission's President Ursula von der Leyen.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has arrived in Azerbaijan to hold talks on a gas deal with President Ilham Aliyev on July 18.

EU and Azerbaijan are in active dialogue on increasing gas supplies amid the energy crisis. A joint statement on energy cooperation with the EU was signed more than ten years ago. The EU-Azerbaijan energy cooperation had reached a new level and is still ongoing within the framework of the Southern Gas Corridor. The EU places a high value on energy supply diversification, and the Southern Gas Corridor is particularly important in this regard.

On July 15, Aliyev announced the signing of an energy security agreement between the EU and Azerbaijan during the meeting on the results for the first six months of 2022.

To recall, with the completion of the TAP (Trans-Adriatic Pipeline) construction on December 31, 2020, Azerbaijan began commercial gas supplies to Europe via the Southern Gas Corridor. The Southern Gas Corridor is an initiative of the European Commission for a natural gas supply route from the Caspian and Middle Eastern regions to Europe. The route from Azerbaijan to Europe consists of the South Caucasus Pipeline, TANAP, and TAP.

Last year, TAP transported 8.1 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe. By late 2022, Azerbaijan plans to increase gas supplies to Europe to 9.1 billion cubic meters, and in 2023, the volume of gas supplies is expected to reach 11 billion cubic meters.