The European Commission has signed a memorandum of understanding with Azerbaijan to double Azerbaijan's natural gas imports to at least 20 billion cubic meters per year by 2027.
"Today, with this new Memorandum of Understanding, we open a new chapter in our energy cooperation with Azerbaijan, a key partner in our efforts to move away from Russian fossil fuels," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The EU is looking for alternative suppliers to Russia due to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
Azerbaijan is already increasing its natural gas deliveries to the EU from 8,1 billion cubic meters in 2021 to an expected 12 billion cubic meters in 2022, the Commission said.
Earlier today, the Russian company Gazprom declared a "force majeure in the delivery of gas" to Europe for at least one major consumer starting June 14. This is stated in the letter, which was seen by the Reuters agency.
The letter states that Gazprom was unable to fulfill its supply obligations due to "extraordinary" circumstances beyond its control.
A Reuters source stated that the letter refers to the supply of gas to Germany via the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline.
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