TIRANA, Nov. 15, 2022 – Azeri President Ilham Aliyev said Monday his energy-rich country plans to double the supply of gas to Europe, increasing the continent’s energy security following problems tied to the Russia-Ukraine war.
Aliyev made his comments during an official visit to Albania, invited by his Albanian counterpart, Bajram Begaj, with Albanian officials hoping to improve Albania’s gas distribution infrastructure and connectivity to benefit more from TAP with Azeri help.
Azerbaijan’s head of state said a deal signed with the European Union in July foresees the doubling of Europe’s gas supply in the next five years.
“This gas will pass through Albania and this will provide additional support and contribution to Europe’s energy security,” Aliyev said.
Albania co-hosts the TAP pipeline that brings gas from Azerbaijan through Turkey and Greece to Italy and will increase both Albania’s and EU’s energy security, a key feature of cooperation between the two countries, said President Begaj.
Begaj said that the cooperation for the TAP project was successful and the continuation of this cooperation is necessary as Albania aims to return from a gas transit country to a direct beneficiary as it aims to build new infrastructure.
“The IAP Adriatic-Ionian gas pipeline — through TAP — connects Albania with Montenegro, Croatia and Bosnia, turning our country into a regional distributor and diversifier of gas — of geostrategic importance at the regional and European level. Albania’s gasification process opens up new opportunities for cooperation. We welcome the assistance from the Azerbaijani side for raising the necessary human capacities and we believe that the companies from Azerbaijan will use the spaces for cooperation in this sector, in Albania, Kosovo and the region,” Begaj said.
Connected to the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) on the Greek border with Turkey, TAP extends throughout Northern Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea before reaching the shores of Italy. It recently started full commercial operations after being completed but dormant for several years.
President of Azerbaijan Aliyev was also welcomed in a meeting by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who said in a statement they discussed joint projects in the field of energy, calling the Caspian country’s president “a great friend.”
Rama said the discussions ranged “from the launch of the gasification program with investment of Azerbaijan, which will start with a municipality that will be determined at one of the points of contact with TAP to the setting of concrete milestones to the construction of an ultramodern refinery, which will end the dependence of our country on imported oil.”
President Aliyev said in an earlier press conference that Azerbaijan is ready to participate as an investor in the construction of gas infrastructure in Albania, which does not have a well-developed distribution network.
Azerbaijan also proposed opening an embassy in Albania, as a result of the expanded cooperation between the two countries, which established diplomatic relations 30 years ago.
Other topics of discussion included Azerbaijan’s recent conflict with Armenia, which saw Azerbaijan successfully recover territory that had been taken over by Armenians.
Albanian officials also said it would be beneficial for regional stability in the Western Balkans if Baku, which does not recognize Kosovo’s independence, did not vote against Prishtina’s attempts to join international organizations.
