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Qabil Ashirov

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Production and export of natural gas to the European market is one of the recent triumphs of the Azerbaijani government. Oil was Azerbaijan's primary export, accounting for over 90 per cent of its export revenues prior to gas exportation. This reliance made the Azerbaijani economy more vulnerable to risks. Therefore, the government urgently needed a solution, and natural gas emerged as one of the key answers.

When the government initiated plans for the production and export of natural gas, some media outlets, both domestically and internationally, began circulating information about the "inefficiency" of the project. Baku faced many artificial barriers in its efforts to export its product to Europe. However, these challenges did not discourage Baku. Thanks to decisive actions, the government successfully realized the project. Following the Ukrainian war, European interest in Azerbaijani gas surged. In 2022, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen signed a memorandum of understanding with Azerbaijan to expand gas exports. Soon, Baku began exporting its gas to 11 countries, reducing the share of oil in Azerbaijani exports to 50 per cent. In other words, Azerbaijani gas proved to be the best remedy for Europe to reduce its dependence on Russia and for Baku to lessen its reliance on oil.

In parallel with these successes, the same forces that once claimed the "inefficiency" of the projects began to chase a non-existent black cat in a dark room. They first argued that Azerbaijan lacked the resources and infrastructure to replace Russia. In response, it was clarified that the EU aims to diversify its energy resources and does not seek any single country to replace Russia. As for resources and infrastructure, Azerbaijan has sufficient capacity to meet the EU's requirements.

Of course, this did not silence the critics because they were deliberately looking for a molehill to make into a mountain. It did not take long for them to find a "molehill" and to latch onto Azerbaijan's import of Russian gas. Azerbaijan produced 48.5 bcm of gas, of which 23.8 bcm was exported in 2023. However, Azerbaijan imports roughly 1 bcm from Russia. Despite Azerbaijan's gas production being 49 times and its gas export being 24 times greater than its gas import from Russia, these forces have been grasping at this "molehill" like the last straws. Western media outlets started to circulate baseless accusations about Azerbaijan’s re-exportation of Russian gas.

Last week, Azerbaijan's foreign policy chief, Hikmet Hajiyev, addressed the issue on X, noting that Azerbaijan did not import gas from Russia in 2024. He also highlighted that Azerbaijan produces and exports gas in collaboration with international (editor mostly Western) partners. Despite Hikmet Hajiyev's response, these forces continued to create a storm in a teacup.

A similar question was posed to Tim McPhie, the Commission's spokesperson on energy affairs. His response echoed Hajiyev's emphasis. The Commission's spokesperson noted that the Southern Gas Corridor, which supplies the EU markets, is only connected to Azerbaijani gas fields, not the broader Azerbaijani natural gas system; therefore, the Southern Gas Corridor does not transport Russian gas to the EU.

Given all this information, it is evident that despite Azerbaijan's goodwill, some will continue to defame the country. Even if a lab test proved that Azerbaijan exports purely its natural gas, critics would still try to find something. It is clear that they maliciously aim to shape public opinion. Why? Unfortunately, we do not know. But they should remember that by attempting to defame Azerbaijan, they will achieve nothing. On the contrary, the media outlets involved in this dark PR will lose their reputation.