(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 2. Azerbaijan is strengthening its position as a key energy supplier not only for Europe but also for a wider region, said Rovshan Najaf, President of SOCAR, speaking at the opening session of the KAZENERGY Eurasian Forum in Astana, Trend reports.

"Azerbaijan now is playing a crucial role, not only in the European energy security, but in a more broader region," Najaf said, underlining his country's growing contribution to energy stability.

He expressed gratitude to Türkiye for its partnership in new regional projects: "Together with Türkiye, we were able to start supplying the gas to Syria, which is in need of it. And the country now is being developed, redeveloped, reconstructed, and it's a very difficult, challenging transition period".

Najaf noted that this cooperation also includes partners from the Gulf: "Together with the Turkish partners and Qatari partners, we started supplying the gas to Syria in August of this year. If you asked us six months ago, it was not in our plans. But again, we are ready to play a bigger role in the energy security of the bigger region".

Looking ahead, the SOCAR president stressed that Azerbaijan has the necessary resources to expand its role, but requires long-term commitments: "We have enough resources, and what we need is just long-term contracts from the buyers and funding and financing together with us. Because we have a lot of other plans to implement, to invest in".

Najaf also reflected on SOCAR's evolution: "SOCAR is now becoming and transforming into an energy company. You rightly mentioned we started as an oil company, and even the name SOCAR is the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan. Then we transformed into a gas company, and now we are an oil, gas, and energy company".

MENAFN02102025000187011040ID1110140504