BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 3. The 12th meeting of the Advisory Council on the Southern Gas Corridor and the 4th meeting of the Advisory Council on Green Energy were held in Baku, Trend reports.
The meeting was attended by 27 countries, including Azerbaijan and the European Union, 11 international financial institutions and organizations, as well as 49 energy companies. Ministers, deputy ministers, and other high-ranking officials are participating in the event.
Speaking at the meeting, Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov noted that the Southern Gas Corridor and Azerbaijani gas continue to play an important role in ensuring energy security and stability of supply through diversification.
Despite existing restrictions, Azerbaijan has increased gas supplies to Europe by more than 56 percent since 2021, and the capacity of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) has been expanded by 1.2 billion cubic meters. Azerbaijan has also started supplying gas to Syria, Germany, and Austria, expanding its supply network from Southeast Europe to the Middle East and Central Europe. Currently, Azerbaijani gas is exported to 16 countries, including 10 European Union member states," the minister added.
Parviz Shahbazov noted that natural gas will remain the main pillar of energy security in the coming decades, which must be ensured by timely investments and a transparent political framework.
We live in an era of electricity driven by artificial intelligence, data centers, and digitalization. Electricity demand is growing rapidly, and natural gas remains the only scalable and flexible resource capable of reliably supporting this growth. This reality requires a pragmatic reassessment of the approach to natural gas. Gas will remain the foundation of energy security for decades to come, and timely investments and a clear policy framework will guarantee this," the minister noted.
According to him, advisory councils offer practical solutions, stimulating cooperation in the field of natural gas, renewable energy, and diversified supply routes, thus forming the basis of this platform.
In his speech, Artem Nekrasov, First Deputy Minister of Energy of Ukraine, noted that cooperation between the EU, Azerbaijan, and Ukraine is shaping a new energy architecture for Europe.
"For Azerbaijan, the development of cooperation with Ukraine and Central European countries opens up new prospects for expanding natural gas exports to the European market. The development of additional transport routes and the use of regional infrastructure allows for the diversification of sales markets, increases the efficiency of the Southern Gas Corridor, and creates new commercial opportunities for Azerbaijani energy companies," he said.
Nekrasov noted that the further development of the Southern Gas Corridor, the expansion of the capacity of the TANAP and TAP gas pipelines, and the commissioning of new fields in the Caspian region create the conditions for a significant increase in natural gas supplies to Europe.
"In this system, Azerbaijan acts as a reliable supplier of resources, the European Union as a key market, and Ukraine can play the role of an important infrastructure and logistics hub, ensuring the flexibility and stability of energy flows in the region. Thus, the development of cooperation between the European Union, Azerbaijan, and Ukraine in the field of natural gas has the potential to become one of the key elements in the formation of a new, more sustainable, and diversified energy architecture in Europe," the deputy minister said.
Furthermore, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs Caleb Orr stated that the United States highly values the strategic importance of the Southern Gas Corridor.
"The Southern Gas Corridor is at the heart of our successful partnership in the region and reflects our shared view that energy security is closely linked to national security. The United States has supported the Southern Gas Corridor since its inception and highly values its strategic importance as a route connecting the Caucasus region with Europe," Orr said.
He also emphasized that the US sees significant opportunities for cooperation in realizing the full potential of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) and the broader Trans-Caspian route, strengthening regional economic integration, and expanding trade routes for the supply of energy, strategic minerals, and other goods.
The UK Trade Envoy for Azerbaijan and Central Asia, Lord John Alderdice, emphasized that the UK sees great potential for cooperation with Azerbaijan in the context of green energy corridors.
"Azerbaijan plays a highly professional role as a supplier of regional and European energy security. For more than 30 years, cooperation in the energy sector has formed the basis of relations between the UK and Azerbaijan. The UK sees great potential for joint work on green energy corridors and clean energy projects. These initiatives will bring significant benefits not only to Azerbaijan, but also to the wider region and European markets," he said.
Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Türkiye, Zafer Demircan, noted that the Southern Gas Corridor plays a strategic role in ensuring long-term energy security.
“There is a common understanding of the strategic role that the Southern Gas Corridor plays in ensuring long-term energy security. This valuable concept is now evolving into a ‘Green Energy Corridor’ connecting the countries of the Caucasus and Central Asia with Europe,” the deputy minister noted.
He stressed that Türkiye is not only the most advantageous route for transporting natural gas, but also for transmitting electricity.
Stuart Shaw, bp's vice president for production in Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye, noted that the company is working to develop new gas sources outside Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field.
The key part of this is developing the independent gas fields at Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli (ACG). These fields have a lot of potential—up to 4 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas. We have already drilled the first production well on the West Chirag platform and expect to receive the first gas in the coming months. This well will also provide important data for evaluation, which will help determine the next steps in the development of the ACG independent gas fields," he said.
Shaw recalled that last year bp joined the Karabagh and ADUA projects.
"We are focused on exploring and developing new oil and gas fields in the Caspian region. Together with SOCAR, we are evaluating development options that make the most effective use of existing infrastructure. As the operator, we are applying our global experience and technology to advance these projects safely and efficiently. As a first step, we are conducting seismic surveys on both projects to better understand the reservoirs.
This data will be key in designing concepts for future development. We are also continuing our appraisal work on the Shafag-Asiman block, now with a new partner, TPAO. This collaboration provides additional technical and financial support, helping to accelerate work on this promising structure," added the bp vice president.
Furthermore, Péter Sztáray, State Secretary for Security Policy and Energy Security at the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, noted that Hungary considers the Southern Gas Corridor to be a key project for diversifying natural gas supply routes to Europe and actively supports its expansion.
“The main goal of the Hungarian government is to ensure stable, rational, and climate-neutral energy supplies, which requires diversification of sources and import routes. Hungary considers increasing the capacity of the Southern Gas Corridor to be a key project for diversifying Europe's gas supply,” Péter Sztáray noted.
He stressed that Hungary's participation in the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council reflects the recognition of Azerbaijan as a strategic partner in energy cooperation, adding that Hungary actively supports increasing the corridor's capacity.
Saša Koković, Acting Deputy Minister of Oil and Gas at the Ministry of Mining and Energy of Serbia, stated that the Southern Gas Corridor represents a new energy reality for Europe.
He noted that Serbia had gained access to natural gas supplies from Azerbaijan and other sources via the Southern Gas Corridor for the first time with the commissioning of the Serbia-Bulgaria gas interconnector.
"The Southern Gas Corridor is not just an infrastructure project. It represents a new energy reality for Europe, based on reliable partnerships and mutual trust. Serbia's cooperation with Azerbaijan is of particular strategic importance and is primarily based on the friendly relations between President Aleksandar Vučić and President Ilham Aliyev. The results of our cooperation to date have been confirmed by agreements covering the exchange of experience in the field of natural gas, renewable energy sources, and the introduction of new technologies," he said.
Erlind Suló, Albania's Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, noted that Albania is in a favorable position to access natural gas supplies via the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP).
"This opens up the possibility of meeting domestic energy needs, reducing dependence on electricity as the sole source, and making energy resources more accessible and economical for households, businesses, and industry. We have decided to work in this direction on two parallel projects. The first is the revival of the Vlora Thermal Power Plant (TPP), implemented as an integrated project connected to the TAP exit point and a floating LNG terminal. The second project is the gasification of Korçë, one of Albania's major cities," he said.
