Baku (TDI): The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has called for the expansion of the pipelines that transmit natural gas from Azerbaijan to Europe.
Most notable among these are the South Caucasus Pipeline (SCP), the Trans-Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) and Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP).
President Aliyev made these remarks during the 11th Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council Ministerial Meeting and the 3rd Green Energy Advisory Council Ministerial Meeting, in Baku.
Apart from Azerbaijan’s Ministers, Deputy Ministers, and high-level representatives, twenty four countries; including the European Union, seven international financial institutions, and forty two energy companies attended the meeting.
President of Azerbaijan: We have to expand South Caucasus Pipeline, TANAP and TAP https://t.co/YJGRiNFNTL pic.twitter.com/PQHXDTmCYA
— Azerbaijan Emb. to Pakistan (@AzEmbPak) April 4, 2025
Alparslan Bayraktar, the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of the Republic of Türkiye also participated in the meeting.
President Ilham Aliyev reiterated the strategic importance of Southern Gas Corridor and underscored its crucial role in ensuring energy security and diversification of supply routes for Europe.
“The Southern Gas Corridor works at full capacity. Whether it’s the South Caucasus Pipeline, TANAP, or TAP – the three integral parts of the Corridor are fully packed,” he noted.
Addressing the financial dimension of such expansion, the President called for a reassessment by international financial institutions of their current policies on fossil fuel investments.
“Now they work at full capacity. So we need to expand. For that, we will need, of course, financing. We come to a very important point, which we raised on several occasions that international financial institutions, which decided to stop financing fossil fuel projects, probably, will reconsider their policy,” President Ilham Aliyev said.
Read More: Azerbaijan, Türkiye Launch Nakhchivan Gas Pipeline
Azerbaijan’s Energy Minister, Parviz Shahbazov, emphasized the possibility of long-term gas contracts between Azerbaijan and European consumers, which would provide an important guarantee for the European Union.
He also emphasized the need for rapid development of Azerbaijan’s production projects, expansion of pipeline transportation capacity, and the construction of a centralized compressor station.
Highlighting the strategic significance of the project, the Minister said that developing the Southern Gas Corridor would considerably improve Europe’s energy security, and with strong cooperation between Azerbaijan, the EU, energy businesses, and the regional partners, the corridor can reach new heights.
Read More: Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan Sign Green Energy Pact
The Southern Gas Corridor is a strategic initiative aimed at transporting natural gas from the Caspian Sea region to European markets; enhancing energy diversification and security for the continent.
The corridor comprises the South Caucasus Pipeline (SCP), the Trans-Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP), and the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), and plays a pivotal role in Azerbaijan’s energy diplomacy.
The ministerial meetings brought together high-level officials, energy ministers, and foreign partners to address current and future trends in both traditional and green energy sectors, reaffirming Baku’s position as a key hub for East-West energy cooperation.
Javaria Khalid is a Web Contributor at The Diplomatic Insight Magazine. She specializes in covering geopolitical developments, international relations, diplomatic, and socio-economic developments in Europe and Pakistan.
