Azerbaijani Gas Plays Growing Role in Europe’s Energy Security, Expert Says
Jerusalem, 6 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) -- Baku (AZERTAC) – The scope of Azerbaijani natural gas exports to Europe has been steadily expanding in recent years. Over the past five years, more than 50 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani natural gas has been exported to Europe via the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP). The restrictions imposed by the European Union on Russian gas, especially after the Russia-Ukraine war, have further increased the strategic importance of Azerbaijani gas in this market.
This was stated by Kenan Aslanli, an employee of the Department of International Economic Integration at Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University, in a statement to AZERTAC .
The expert noted that in 2023-2025, Azerbaijan exported an average of 25-26 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually, of which about half fell to European countries. According to data as of the end of 2025, a total of 14 countries, 8 of which are members of the European Union, import Azerbaijani gas. With this indicator, Azerbaijan is one of the countries that exports natural gas to the largest number of countries in the world through pipelines.
“According to statistics as of the end of 2024, Azerbaijan provided more than 4 percent of the European Union’s total annual gas imports, and with this indicator, it has quickly reached the same level as countries such as the United Kingdom and Qatar, which traditionally export gas to the EU market. Azerbaijani gas plays a critical role in the energy balance of individual Eastern, Southern and Central European countries, which are especially facing serious energy shortages. Currently, 55-60 percent of Bulgaria’s total gas imports are provided by Azerbaijan,” Aslanli said.
The expert added that Slovakia, which cannot receive Russian gas in transit through Ukraine, has started importing Azerbaijani gas since December 2025 in order to meet its critical gas demand. This fact is a clear indicator of Azerbaijan’s growing role in Europe’s energy security.
Aslanli said that the construction of new interconnectors in the territory of European countries, the creation of additional compressor stations, and the increase in the annual transmission capacity of the TAP pipeline to the planned 20 billion cubic meters create a serious basis for the further increase in the strategic importance of Azerbaijani gas in the European market.
He added that the forecasts that the country’s gas production will maintain its growth dynamics in the coming years further increase the strategic importance of Azerbaijani gas in the European market.
“How the overall gas demand of the European Union and the trajectory of natural gas prices will change is also of particular importance. These factors are among the most important parameters in terms of export revenues and the effectiveness of energy diplomacy of natural gas exporting countries, as well as gas export infrastructure and production volumes,” Aslanli emphasized.
