Mikayil Jabbarov: Azerbaijan building new energy bridge to Middle East

The transportation of Azerbaijani natural gas to Syria through Turkish territory is an important milestone in Azerbaijan's energy export history and lays the foundation for a new energy bridge between the South Caucasus and the Middle East, Azerbaijan's Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov said at the opening ceremony of the Türkiye-Syria gas pipeline in Kilis, Türkiye, Report informs.

The minister said that the number of countries to which Azerbaijani gas is exported has reached 14, and SOCAR's plans are even bigger. Currently, SOCAR is planning to acquire shares in gas production projects abroad and deliver company-owned gas to new consumer countries.

Jabbarov, who is also the Chairman of SOCAR's Supervisory Board spoke about Azerbaijan's strategic energy projects, noting that these initiatives play an invaluable role in ensuring regional and global energy security. The minister noted that the commencement of gas transportation from Azerbaijan to Syria with the opening of the Türkiye-Syria Natural Gas Pipeline once again demonstrates that Azerbaijan is a reliable and strategic energy supplier. This project will make significant contributions to expanding Azerbaijan's gas export geography in new directions.

Syria's Minister of Energy, Mohammed Al Bashir, expressed gratitude to Azerbaijan and Türkiye for their support in improving welfare and rebuilding Syria, which has suffered from years of war.

Türkiye's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar, announced the signing of a swap agreement with SOCAR for the delivery of Azerbaijani gas at the Türkiye-Syria border, noting that Azerbaijan, which has always stood by Türkiye in both sad and joyful times, did not withhold its support in this project either. The minister said that Azerbaijani natural gas will be exported to Syria via Kilis, with 6 million cubic meters of natural gas to be transported daily from the Yavuzlu Measurement Station.

Bayraktar said that thanks to the gas exports to Syria, power plants there will also start operating soon. In the initial phase, it will be possible to export up to 2 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Syria annually. Using this natural gas, approximately 1200 megawatts of installed power will be activated. This project will make a very serious contribution to the normalization of life in Syria, raise people's living standards, and accelerate the return of Syrian refugees.

As part of the visit, the Azerbaijani delegation held bilateral meetings with Turkish and Syrian sides. The meetings reviewed opportunities for expanding cooperation in the energy sector, and views were exchanged on issues of mutual interest.