By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov has said that the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) is transforming Azerbaijan into a reliable supplier of energy resources both in the region and in Europe.

He made the remarks speaking at the meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) in Doha, Qatar on February 21.

"Given the requirements of both energy security and environmental safety, the Southern Gas Corridor is now considered one of the most promising priorities in the energy supply of more countries, and there is great interest in its development," he said.

Shahbazov noted that currently, Europe accounts for the major part of the country's daily gas exports, since nearly 27 million cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas is delivered to European consumers per day.

The minister added that since commissioning, 14.8 billion cubic meters of gas have been exported to Turkey via TANAP and 9.4 billion cubic meters to Europe via TAP.

Shahbazov also briefed on Azerbaijan’s great potential to meet the domestic gas demand and to supply its partners with natural gas for the long term.

Moreover, he noted that combating climate change is important, but so is the cost of energy and security of supply.

"Despite the volatility of quotes, natural gas will still be a suitable source for reliable power generation as well as for balancing power systems," he said.

Stressing that natural gas is a bridge to the goal of climate neutrality, the energy minister emphasized the importance of supporting this type of energy for price stability.

It should be noted that GECF will hold its 6th summit of heads of state and government on February 22. Azerbaijan has been an observer at the Gas Exporting Countries Forum since 2015.

It should be noted that Parviz Shahbazov arrived in Qatar at the invitation of Qatar's State Minister for Energy, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, to attend the GECF ministerial meeting and the 6th summit of heads of state and government.