European commission president Ursula von der Leyen is meeting Azerbaijani officials in Baku on Monday and is expected to close a deal to increase imports of natural gas to the EU. The deal would help the EU reduce its reliance on its old supplier energy, and could also address concerns over gas supplies after the Nord Stream 1 pipeline began scheduled maintenance last week.
Work on the pipeline from their supplier to Germany is due to continue until the end of this week, but the supplier’s Foreign Ministry said that the future of the pipeline was linked to sanctions against the city.
According to a document seen by the publisher, the proposed deal between Baku and the EU would increase gas flow into the bloc through the Southern Gas Corridor pipeline. The Sides desire to support bilateral trade of natural gas, including through exports to the European Union, via the Southern Gas Corridor, of at least 20 billion cubic meters of gas annually by 2027, in accordance with commercial viability and market demand, the document said.
Last year, the pipeline transported 8 billion cubic meters of gas into the EU. The increase would require Azerbaijan to increase its domestic gas production.
