BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 6. Azerbaijan is strategically important for the energy independence of the EU, said Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban ahead of an unofficial meeting of EU leaders in Granada, Spain, TurkicWorld reports.

"Azerbaijan is a key country; without Azerbaijan, we cannot achieve energy independence," Orban stated.

The largest Hungarian wholesale natural gas trader, MVM CEEnergy, and SOCAR signed a contract on June 2 to transport 100 million cubic meters of gas, with deliveries set to begin in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Azerbaijan began gas supplies to Europe via the Southern Gas Corridor on December 31, 2020. The initial capacity of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), which is the European section of the corridor, is 10 bcm per year with the possibility of expansion to 20 bcm.

Meanwhile, on October 5, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for sanctions against Azerbaijan. The resolution was passed with 473 votes in favor, 46 against, and 16 abstentions.

The European Parliament urged EU executive bodies and member states to impose targeted sanctions against representatives of the Azerbaijani Government.