Azerbaijan’s contribution to European energy diversification will only grow in importance, European Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jørgensen said in an exclusive interview with Trend ahead of the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council’s meeting in Baku March 3.

“My message in Baku will be one of continued partnership and shared strategic interest. The European Union remains a steady and reliable partner for Azerbaijan, and we deeply value our energy cooperation. In these challenging times, Azerbaijan has played a crucial role in helping Europe diversify away from Russian gas — and that contribution will only grow in importance given that we now have a full ban on Russian gas imports in the EU,” he said.

The Commissioner noted that since the war in Ukraine began, Caspian gas has been instrumental in slashing EU dependence on Russian imports — from 45% of European gas supply to just above 10% this year.

“That’s not just a statistic, it’s a strategic success for European energy security. But my message this week will be that this partnership isn’t just about gas. It’s also about supporting the green transition, as both the EU and Azerbaijan are accelerating electrification, modernising infrastructure, and remain committed to the Paris Agreement. This is a win-win for both our economies and our energy future,” noted Jørgensen.

The EU Commissioner recalled the achievements in energy cooperation with Azerbaijan.

“First, let’s acknowledge what we’ve already achieved together. In recent years, we have significantly increased European imports of gas from Azerbaijan —today, Europe buys roughly half of Azerbaijan’s total gas exports. That’s a testament to an effective energy partnership.

Just this January, we saw the first expansion of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline— an extra 1.2 billion cubic metres per year — which means additional gas deliveries to the European market in 2026. And let’s not forget the economic impact: since its inception, the Southern Gas Corridor has proved to be a major driver for growth for the Azerbaijani economy. Gas exports to Italy, Greece and Bulgaria generated around €24 billion in revenues through 2024 since the Trans Adriatic Pipeline started commercial deliveries. That’s real, tangible growth,” he said.

Jørgensen believes that now, looking ahead, further expansions need to happen in line with market prices and demand.

“The EU is no longer funding international gas infrastructure from its budget. In the future, the further expansion of the corridor should be underpinned by commercial investments combined with potential financing from international financial institutions,” he said.

The EU Commissioner highlighted huge opportunities with Azerbaijan in renewables as well.

“Under our Black Sea Strategy, we’re advancing a ‘Connectivity Agenda’ to strengthen links in transport, digital and energy infrastructure. And I see a lot of potential in electricity and renewables in this region. Electricity connectivity is crucial to reduce energy system costs, integrate more renewables, and enable two-way electricity flows and trading. We want to strengthen national power systems and create strategic bidirectional transmission interconnectors in the region. This will increase regional power trade and ensure the best use of regionally distributed renewables.

There is significant potential for deeper cooperation with Azerbaijan and the wider region on renewables, energy efficiency, and grids. European companies are looking for opportunities to contribute their technology, finance, and expertise. The South Caucasus can become a prime location for clean technology investments. Governments, financial institutions, and the private sector can work together to make this a reality. From the EU side, we stand ready to explore further support, including through the mobilisation of guarantees, blended finance instruments, and regulatory support,” he explained.

Jørgensen pointed out that energy security and climate action are not opposed to each other. Rather, they are complementary.

“Europe is determined to advance on its independence pathway. And this paradigm envisages both doubling down on home-grown renewables and energy efficiency, but also diversification of energy supplies by working with reliable partners. With the adoption of an EU ban on Russian gas imports, we are now moving quickly away from Russian supplies, and diversification of gas imports remains a priority. At the same time, we are working to improve our interconnections and to expand renewables to strengthen our resilience, including to price shocks that can be triggered by external dependencies.

The EU has recently adopted a 90% emissions-reduction goal for 2040. This shows once again our strong commitment to the clean-energy transition and to become climate neutral by 2050. In Europe we are showing that climate action and competitiveness can go hand in hand: we are reducing emissions while growing our economy. I encourage all other economies to follow the same path to live up to their decarbonisation commitments and strengthen their energy security and competitiveness,” he said.

The European Commissioner noted that the phaseout of Russian gas out throughout this and next year will be a key element of EU strategy to become energy independent.

“As part of that, we will continue to diversify our gas supplies, while accelerating the deployment of renewables. At the same time, we are determined to unleash the full potential of interconnections and of a truly integrated European energy market. This is why we working to strengthen and expand cross-border interconnectors, completing missing infrastructure links, and improving the way the internal energy market functions to ensure energy flows efficiently where it is most needed.

We will also focus on improving the preparedness of our energy system to new threats, cyber and physical, as well as climate-change related impacts. In a nutshell: by reducing structural dependence on imported fossil fuels and strengthening market integration, we aim to make our system more resilient and capable of delivering cleaner and cheaper energy to our citizens and businesses,” Jørgensen concluded.