BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 3. Baku is committed to maintaining a balanced energy strategy that includes traditional fuels, Deputy Minister of Energy Orkhan Zeynalov said at the KAZENERGY forum in Astana, Trend reports.
“Traditional energy remains very important. Last year, Azerbaijan produced 50 billion cubic meters of natural gas. Natural gas is a crucial transitional fuel in the energy transition, and of that, more than 25 bcm were exported, including 13 bcm to Europe,” Zeynalov stated.
He highlighted Azerbaijan’s recent expansion of gas exports to Syria through a partnership with Turkish companies SOCAR and Botash. “The gas flowing to Syria for future electricity generation will open additional opportunities in the Middle East,” he said.
Zeynalov emphasized the need to sustain investments in the traditional energy sector alongside the energy transition. “In some regions, certain international financial institutions have been opposed to investments in traditional energy, which can hamper sustainable development and energy security,” he noted.
He also pointed to ongoing demand for Azerbaijani gas beyond the Southern Gas Corridor. “Just today, we have requests from some countries - for up to 14 bcm of additional natural gas. This shows that upstream investments in natural gas remain necessary,” Zeynalov said.
The Deputy Minister stressed the importance of regional cooperation. “I am very pleased that SOCAR, KazMunayGas, and our teams have held productive discussions recently. Ensuring the sustainable transit of energy resources from Kazakhstan and Central Asia through the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan is very important,” he added.