Azerbaijan Says No Plans To Join OPEC After Invitation From Sec Gen

Wires reporting that Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov has stated that Baku "is not currently considering joining OPEC" following a report from Russian news outlet Interfax a short time ago that OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais had invited the South Caucasian nation to join the group of oil producing nations.

• Local media in Azerbaijan reports that Shahbazov currently taking part in the 8th OPEC International Seminar on "Towards a Sustainable and Inclusive Energy Transition" in Vienna Austria, where the minister will also hold "several bilateral meetings."
• In June, OPEC reported that Al Ghais and Shahbazov met in Baku to discuss "developments in the energy markets, the energy transitions, energy security and the investment challenge facing the industry," where the two, "explored ways to boost the ongoing cooperation between Azerbaijan and OPEC."
• Azerbaijan is currently a member of OPEC+, and although a comparatively minor player in OPEC+ in terms of production, any move to become a fully fledged member of OPEC may be a cause for concern in Europe considering Azerbaijan's strategically critical position in the region and importance in diversifying Europe's gas supply.