Diplomacy
EU and Azerbaijan Reaffirm Strategic Energy Partnership at 12th SGC Ministerial
April 3, 2026
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The European Union's Energy Commissioner and Azerbaijan's Minister of Energy convened in Baku for the 12th Ministerial Meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council, reaffirming the strategic energy partnership between Brussels and Baku at a critical juncture for European energy security. The meeting underscored both sides' commitment to expanding the corridor's capacity and exploring new areas of energy cooperation.
The Southern Gas Corridor, which stretches 3,500 kilometers from the Shah Deniz gas field in the Caspian Sea to markets in Southern Europe, has become one of the EU's most important energy diversification assets. With Azerbaijan now supplying gas to 16 countries and exports to Europe up 56 percent, the corridor has proven its strategic value during a period of heightened energy uncertainty on the continent.
"The Southern Gas Corridor is a cornerstone of EU energy security, and our partnership with Azerbaijan will only deepen in the years ahead," the EU Energy Commissioner said during the meeting. The statement reflected a broader European policy of reducing dependence on Russian gas while strengthening ties with reliable alternative suppliers.
Azerbaijan's Energy Minister reciprocated the sentiment, highlighting the country's plans for further upstream development and pipeline expansion. Four new production projects are scheduled for launch between 2026 and 2029, including first non-associated gas from the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli field, which will provide additional volumes for export via the corridor.
The Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) website notes that the pipeline's capacity is set to expand from 10 to 20 billion cubic meters per annum, with the first phase of expansion anticipated to come online later this year. The expansion will require additional compression stations and regulatory approvals from transit countries including Turkey, Greece, Albania, and Italy.
The ministerial meeting also addressed the potential for the Southern Gas Corridor to accommodate gas from other Caspian producers, notably Turkmenistan. A Trans-Caspian Pipeline connecting Turkmen gas fields to the corridor has been discussed for years, and both EU and Azerbaijani officials indicated that the concept remains on the table as a medium-term goal.
Beyond gas, the two sides discussed cooperation on renewable energy, green hydrogen, and electricity interconnections. Azerbaijan has proposed an undersea electricity cable across the Black Sea that could deliver renewable power from Caspian wind farms to European markets, a project that has attracted interest from several EU member states.
The Oil Gas Storage News analysis of the ministerial meeting noted that the UAE's growing involvement in Azerbaijan's energy sector — through companies like Masdar and ADNOC — adds another layer to the geopolitical dynamics surrounding the corridor, with Gulf capital increasingly flowing into Caspian energy infrastructure.
