Türkiye and Azerbaijan Sign Natural Gas Cooperation Agreement

On May 14, 2024, Azerbaijani Minister of Economy Mikail Jabbarov and Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of natural gas. According to the agreement, natural gas will be supplied to Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic through the Ighdir-Nakhchivan pipeline this winter.

Why this matters: This agreement has significant implications for Europe's energy security, as it will increase the supply of natural gas to the region. Additionally, it strengthens the partnership between Azerbaijan and Türkiye, contributing to the energy security of many countries in the region.

The agreement aims to ensure the supply of Azerbaijan's energy resources, primarily natural gas, to Türkiye and European markets. It will also contribute to the supply of resources from Central Asia to the Turkish market and subsequently to the world market through the territory of Azerbaijan. "The agreement will ensure not only the supply of Azerbaijan's energy resources, primarily natural gas, to Türkiye and European markets but will also contribute to the supply of resources from Central Asia to the Turkish market and subsequently to the world market through the territory of Azerbaijan," stated Mikail Jabbarov.

The partnership between Azerbaijan and Türkiye will contribute to the energy security of many countries in the region. Jabbarov emphasized that the partnership makes a significant positive contribution to the energy security of many countries. The Ighdir-Nakhchivan natural gas pipeline is expected to be commissioned at the end of this year or at the beginning of 2025, with construction activities nearing completion.

The agreement signed between the two countries addresses the increase in capacity of the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) and the South Caucasus natural gas pipelines beyond 2030. It also enables the delivery of Turkmenistan natural gas to Türkiye via Azerbaijan and Georgia. By 2030, additional gas volumes from Azerbaijan's resources and natural gas from the Caspian sources will reach Türkiye, with some of it also reaching Europe via Türkiye.

The agreement is a result of the strong will demonstrated by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The Shusha Declaration, signed on June 15, 2021, elevated the bilateral relations to a strategic partnership. Azerbaijan and Türkiye have jointly developed several projects, including the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Crude Oil Pipeline, the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum Natural Gas Pipeline, and TANAP.

The Baku-Tbilisi-Jeyhan pipeline not only connects Azerbaijan and Türkiye but also the brotherly Turkic states of Central Asia, which is another manifestation of the unity of the Turkic world. The agreement demonstrates both countries' policy of implementing long-term, large-scale projects with a political vision, emphasizing that Türkiye-Azerbaijan cooperation contributes to Europe's energy security.

Key Takeaways

• Azerbaijan and Turkey sign agreement to supply natural gas to Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
• Ighdir-Nakhchivan pipeline to be commissioned by end of 2024 or early 2025.
• Agreement to increase natural gas supply to Europe, strengthening energy security.
• Partnership enables delivery of Turkmenistan natural gas to Turkey via Azerbaijan and Georgia.
• Agreement demonstrates long-term cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey, boosting energy security.