MOSCOW - Russia and Azerbaijan are discussing broader cooperation in the energy and natural-gas sector, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday.
Putin made the remarks at the eighth summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum in Moscow. Azerbaijan attended the meeting as an observer country.
“Azerbaijan is our stable, good partner in many areas, including energy,” Putin said, according to APA, which cited Russia’s TASS news agency.
Putin said Moscow maintains an active dialogue with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and sees opportunities to expand cooperation in the gas industry, Vesti Baku reported.
The Russian leader also compared the two countries’ positions in the Turkish gas market, saying Russia supplies Turkey with as much as 30 billion cubic meters of gas. He said Moscow does not view Azerbaijan as a competitor and is prepared to cooperate.
No specific project, prospective supply volume, timetable or new contract was announced. The remarks therefore indicated a willingness to pursue further talks rather than a concluded agreement.
Sources: APA; TASS; Vesti Baku.