Azerbaijan, Romania talk over gas supply, energy cooperation

Azerbaijan and Romania have held talks on gas deliveries and broader energy cooperation, according to Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov.

In a post on social media platform X, Shahbazov said he met with his Romanian counterpart, Sebastian-Ioan Burduja, in Istanbul to discuss a range of energy issues, Caliber.Az reports.

"In Istanbul, we had discussions with Romanian Energy Minister Sebastian-Ioan Burduja on the development of the Caspian-Black Sea-European Green Energy Corridor Project, Gas Supply and other issues on the agenda of Energy Cooperation, " he wrote.

Note that Romania and Azerbaijan have significantly advanced their energy cooperation, focusing on renewable energy and regional energy security. A central initiative is the Caspian–Black Sea–European Green Energy Corridor, which aims to transmit green electricity from Azerbaijan to Europe via a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) subsea cable across the Black Sea.

Key milestones include the establishment of the Green Energy Corridor Power Company (GECO) in September 2024, a joint venture among Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania, and Hungary, headquartered in Bucharest. This company is tasked with implementing the 1,195 km, 1 GW capacity cable project, with Bulgaria expressing interest in joining.

The European Commission has pledged €2.3 billion towards the estimated €3.5 billion project, underscoring its strategic importance for EU energy diversification.

In March 2025, during the 10th Ministerial Meeting in Budapest, the four countries signed a joint letter to support granting the project Project of Mutual Interest (PMI) status. They agreed to submit the project for inclusion in the EU’s Ten-Year Network Development Plan (TYNDP) by May 2025. Additionally, the feasibility study, conducted by Italian firm CESI, is progressing, with preliminary findings expected at COP29 in Baku in November. 

Beyond the corridor, Romania is enhancing its renewable energy capacity, securing a €30 million commitment from the European Investment Bank for the 400 MW Pestera II onshore wind project near Constanța, co-financed by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners. 

The next Azerbaijani-Romanian Intergovernmental Commission meeting is scheduled for later in 2025 in Bucharest, aiming to further solidify bilateral energy ties and finalize the corridor's feasibility study.

By Aghakazim Guliyev