The seventh ministerial meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council was held in the Azerbaijani capital Baku on Thursday, after which a joint statement was issued by Minister of Energy of Azerbaijan, Parviz Shahbazov; European Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson; and European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi.

The text of this statement has been published on the website of the European Commission. The joint statement reads as follows:

“The seventh ministerial meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council, held in Baku on the 11th of February 2021 via videoconference, acknowledges the strategic energy partnership between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the European Union and welcomes the completion of the Southern Gas Corridor project and the start of gas supplies from Azerbaijan to the European Union. This historic achievement was built on the strong cooperation between the governments, international institutions, financial lender organizations, operators of upstream ventures and transportation systems, contractor companies, communities and local authorities along the entire 3500 km long value chain.

We recognize the Southern Gas Corridor as an important new transmission system, which enables secure, reliable and competitive supply of gas from the Shah Deniz field in the Republic of Azerbaijan to Europe. It serves the strategic goal of enhancing the energy security of European countries, further facilitating the integration of the European energy market and contributing to the operational connectivity of gas networks across Southern and Central Europe.

We emphasize the fundamental role of the government of the Republic of Azerbaijan for its long-term commitment to the implementation of the Southern Gas Corridor to secure diversified and stable gas deliveries to Europe and to bring the benefits of greater economic partnership.

We support the efforts of all interested partners to explore the possibility of extension of the Southern Gas Corridor towards new energy markets based on technical, regulatory and commercial opportunities, including the Western Balkans, as they progress in their transition towards a de-carbonised energy system.”