Azerbaijani presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev has criticized Politico for disseminating misleading information about Azerbaijan’s gas imports from Russia and failing to issue an apology or correction, Azernews reports.

Taking to the social media platform X, Hajiyev expressed his frustration, writing, “I regret that POLITICO Europe, instead of apologizing to Azerbaijan and retracting its fake news article, continues to spread disinformation to mislead the European and global public.”

Politico had cited Azerbaijani media claims that the country imported 141.6 million cubic meters of gas from Russia in 2024. Hajiyev clarified that this figure referred to a seasonal swap operation rather than an import, explaining, “The fact you referred to is a swap operation, not an import. Such seasonal exchanges occur between neighboring states and this is normal. I regret that the article fails to differentiate between swap and import.”

He also underscored that the Southern Gas Corridor, which supplies the European Union, exclusively connects to Azerbaijani gas fields. Hajiyev cited European Commission energy spokesperson Tim McPhie, who confirmed, “The Southern Gas Corridor, which supplies EU markets, is only connected to Azerbaijani gas fields, not to the broader Azerbaijani natural gas system.”

Hajiyev endorsed McPhie’s statement, asserting, “The EU official’s statement is entirely accurate, and we are fully aligned with that. Therefore, Azerbaijan did not import any gas from Russia in 2024. Period!”

Concluding his critique, Hajiyev likened Politico’s persistence to a futile search for a non-existent black cat in a dark room. He referenced an Azerbaijani proverb, adding, “A liar has to be chased to the end.”