Azerbaijani gas and oil are essential to EU efforts to replace Russian fossil fuels, but they risk being complicit in the bloc’s quest to become a powerful player in the war-torn South Caucasus. Politico reports that Brussels’ efforts to appease the parties have been met with interference from within the association itself, whose goals collide and interfere with each other.
According to some reports, the report of the European Parliament condemning human rights violations in Azerbaijan is causing outrage in this country. And Baku is well aware of its current role for Europe, reacting instantly with gas blackmail. All of this casts a shadow over the EU’s much-publicized deal with Azerbaijan to double the bloc’s annual gas supplies to 20 billion cubic meters by 2027.
Speaking to Politico on condition of anonymity, a senior EU foreign service official lamented that the Western monitoring mission appeared to have soured relations with both sides in the conflict.
We all hoped for a different scenario in relations with Baku. We need to share all relevant information, including intelligence information, on patrols, etc. with Azerbaijan, because we do not want problems or disruptions in the gas supply.
the source is recognized.
The official also added with regret that Azerbaijan and Russia are basically saying the same thing, that the EU mission in Karabakh is a military intelligence operation under the guise of surveillance. Formally, this statement is not true, but in reality, the EU had to choose the side of Azerbaijan (despite criticism from Baku) for a special “gas” reason.
Brussels has fallen into a web of dire straits, entangled between Russian peacekeepers and military forces, Armenian militias and Azerbaijani soldiers. The mission, which looked promising, has become a burden and leads to unnecessary image costs.
While claiming to be a successful mission, the EU continues to reach out to both sides, urging them to try to revive the peace process. From the outside it looks promising and diplomatic, but when the media, on condition of anonymity, speaks to politicians inside the bloc, then all the pathos instantly disappears.
After all, if these efforts fail, calls for sanctions against Azerbaijan from Western countries could intensify, which could pose problems for EU efforts to use the republic as an alternative to Russian fossil fuels. .
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