The amount of Azeri gas to Eastern and Central Europe will be increased by the end of the year

By the end of the year, the amount of natural gas from Azerbaijan to Eastern and Central Europe will be increased, said the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, who was in Sofia at the invitation of Bulgarian Head of State, Rumen Radev.

The two attended the signing of a memorandum on cooperation between Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Azerbaijan. The initiative is entitled "Solidarity Ring". According to the document, additional volumes of natural gas will be supplied through the already existing infrastructure in the four countries.

Azerbaijan's state-owned oil and gas company is now authorised to trade in natural gas on the territory of the European Union. Today, April 25, the company opened its first office in Eastern Europe in the presence of Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev.

The memorandum signed today is important for the four European countries - Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia - because it will allow them to receive more natural gas from Azerbaijan within one year.

"A decision that provides an opportunity for security of supply and diversification for Central and Southeastern Europe in a fast, efficient and cheap way," Rumen Radev said.

The President of Azerbaijan confirmed that the supplies will be increased and by the end of this year quantities will be able to reach Slovakia via the new route.

"With today's signing, we will certainly export larger quantities of natural gas to more countries in the European Union. Last July, Azerbaijan and the European Commission signed a memorandum guaranteeing that we will double gas supplies to European markets by 2027," Ilham Aliyev said.

Currently, Bulgaria receives about 50% of its blue fuel from Azerbaijan. The country has replaced Russian supplies. This trend is also valid for Europe.

"In record time, we have been able to substantially replace Russian natural gas, which is less than 10% of the EU's piped gas imports as of the beginning of the year," said Kadri Simson, EU Energy Commissioner.

The other countries participating in the initiative also announced that the implementation of the memorandum would start immediately.

"Today we are signing a memorandum. From tomorrow, the operators start working because there is a lot of work to be done before winter, at the moment everything is fine but winter is coming," said Virgil-Daniel Popesco, Romania's energy minister.

"Our gas operator and the government are ready to ensure the transmission of natural gas from Romania to Slovakia in the amount of 5 billion cubic metres per year," said the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, Peter Szijjarto.

The total capacity of the existing free infrastructure in Bulgaria is nearly 17 bcm. To use it, however, it also needs the consent of Turkey, through which the Azeri gas passes.

Images by BGNES