North Macedonia Seeks More Natural Gas Imports from Azerbaijan

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and his North Macedonia counterpart Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova lauded the growing partnership between the two countries, emphasizing the significance of energy cooperation in enhancing bilateral relations.

On Tuesday, President Aliyev received President Siljanovska-Davkova to discuss various areas of cooperation, with energy as the main focus.

“Azerbaijani gas has already reached the market of North Macedonia, which happened at the end of last year, and this year, Azerbaijan will regularly supply your market with natural gas. In the future, we can increase gas supplies to the required volume. We are working hard on commissioning new gas fields today,” President Aliyev said, reaffirming Baku’s intention to expand its footprint in the European market.

President Aliyev elaborated that Azerbaijan exports natural gas to 12 countries across Eurasia, which includes 10 European nations. Last year alone, Azerbaijan supplied 25 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas to international markets.

He added that Azerbaijani gas plays a vital role in Europe's energy security and recalled the Declaration on Strategic Partnership in the energy sector, signed between Azerbaijan and the European Union three years ago, highlighting its role in expanding gas exports.

“We have always attached great importance to the requests of our European partners. In other words, bilateral cooperation in the energy sector is very important to us, and I do hope that this practical cooperation will pave the way for collaboration in other areas as well,” he noted.

In July 2022, Azerbaijan and the European Union signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Strategic Partnership in the Energy Sector, crowning 15 years of fruitful collaboration. The document followed the previous strategic partnership agreement signed in 2006 and Joint Declaration on Southern Gas Corridor signed in 2011.

The MoU includes a commitment to expand the capacity of the Southern Gas Corridor, a mega pipeline carrying gas from Azerbaijan to Türkiye and Europe, aiming to supply at least 20 bcm of gas to the EU annually by 2027. This initiative aligns with the REPowerEU Plan by supporting Europe's efforts to diversify energy sources and reduce reliance on Russian gas.

President Siljanovska-Davkova stated that the EU’s interest in a strategic partnership with Azerbaijan stems from both the latter’s crucial geopolitical position and its reliable cooperation in natural gas and renewable energy – resources that are critical for smaller nations like North Macedonia.

“We are waiting for a step forward and will sign a declaration or agreement on cooperation. This does not mean that we will receive assistance from Azerbaijan only in gas supplies; there will also be ample opportunities for economic cooperation,” she stated.

North Macedonia received first commercial gas from Azerbaijan in late 2023, totaling 12 million cubic meters. In December 2023, ESM Prodazba, the gas division of North Macedonia’s ESM power utility, announced the start of natural gas purchases from the Bulgarian trader Graystone Bulgaria Ltd. The supplied gas mix includes both Azerbaijani and American products. Gas deliveries from Azerbaijan to North Macedonia continued in 2024 with a more systematic and organized approach.

Annual gas consumption in North Macedonia stands at 3,621 cubic feet per capita.

In November 2024, North Macedonia’s ESM and Azerbaijan’s state energy company SOCAR signed a MoU aimed at enhancing energy stability in the Balkan country. The agreement underlined improving access to natural gas and expanding supply opportunities to ensure a stable supply at competitive prices.

Azerbaijan has been providing natural gas to Europe through the Trans-Adriatic-Pipeline (TAP) since December 31, 2020. TAP constitutes the final segment of the 3,500-km Southern Gas Corridor (SGC).

Currently, the European market accounts for the largest portion of daily gas exports from Azerbaijan, with approximately 35 million cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas supplied to European consumers each day.

Starting December 1, 2024, SOCAR has begun supplying natural gas to Slovakia. With this, Slovakia has joined Türkiye, Georgia, Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, and North Macedonia as buyers of Azerbaijani gas.