European Union (EU) plans to double its gas imports from Azerbaijan as it urgently seeks to reduce its reliance on Russian energy imports.
The European Commission, the executive body of the EU, has signed a deal with Azerbaijan to double imports of Azeri natural gas to at least 20 billion cubic metres a year by 2027, reports Al Jazeera.
“Today, with this new Memorandum of Understanding, we are opening a new chapter in our energy cooperation with Azerbaijan, a key partner in our efforts to move away from Russian fossil fuels,” European Commission President von der Leyen said.
The EU is seeking alternative suppliers to Russia because of the invasion of Ukraine.
Azerbaijan is already increasing deliveries of natural gas to the EU from 8.1 billion cubic metres (bcm) in 2021 to an expected 12bcm in 2022, the commission said.
