Will Azerbaijan be able to become a reliable gas supplier for Europe?

Azerbaijan has completed another election. The snap parliamentary elections, held on September 1, are now behind us. This was the second snap election held within a year. Earlier, in February, snap presidential elections took place.

Starting October 1, the "Gas Year" (running until September 30 of the following year) begins, and despite Europe's record gas storage levels (93% full), concerns are rising due to the ongoing escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and uncertainty surrounding Russian gas transit through Ukraine to the EU.

On September 5, President Ilham Aliyev's working visit to Italy highlighted the deepening strategic ties between Azerbaijan and its key European ally. Through high-level meetings with President Sergio Mattarella, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and CEO of Italian energy giant Eni SPA, Claudio Descalzi, this visit reaffirmed the multifaceted relationship between the two countries in energy, trade, cultural cooperation, and regional diplomacy.

Official Baku has included individuals who voted against the Azerbaijani delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on the list of 'undesirable persons.'