BAKU: Azerbaijan has reported a four percent increase in its gas exports abroad for the first nine months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, with a notable rise in shipments to Europe, according to the Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov.

According to Trend News Agency, Shahbazov, who disclosed the figures on his X page, indicated that Europe received 9.4 billion cubic meters (bcm) of Azerbaijani gas from January through September 2024, up from 8.6 bcm during the corresponding months of the previous year. The minister’s update highlights Azerbaijan’s growing role as a key gas supplier to the European market, a relationship that has been in place since December 2020.

In contrast, the gas exports to Trkiye saw a slight decrease, totaling 7.3 bcm during the same period, down from 7.5 bcm year-on-year. The Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP), a major conduit for Azerbaijani gas to Trkiye, transported 4.2 bcm, slightly less than the 4.3 bcm it carried in the first nine months of 2023.

The data also showed that Georgia received 1.7 bcm of Azerbaijani gas, maintaining its status as a consistent recipient of energy supplies from Azerbaijan since 2007.

These figures underscore Azerbaijan’s strategic positioning in the regional energy markets, balancing its export commitments between its longstanding partners in the Caucasus and its relatively newer partners in Europe.