Azerbaijan is an important supplier diversifying gas supplies to Europe, James O'Brien, the US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs said during a press briefing in Baku, according to Report.
Azerbaijan is a very important supplier of natural gas to Europe and provides gas to eight countries, with plans to add four more in the near future, he said, adding that this is an important buffer.
According to the US official, European countries have refused Russian gas. He noted that in many countries, the percentage has dropped to zero.
O'Brien said the expectations are that supply volume will decrease even more when one of the southern pipelines leading from Russia to Moldova stops transiting Russian gas.
This deprives Russia of an important political leverage over Europe, he said, adding that Azerbaijan plays a key role in providing the resilience Europe needs to make this transition, along with liquefied natural gas supplies from the United States, Qatar, and other countries.