German Chancellor Merz: Plans to import oil and gas from Azerbaijan to address the escalation of the Middle East situation and expand energy supply diversity

(1) According to the Russian Satellite News Agency, reporting from Berlin on July 21, German Chancellor Merz stated after talks with Azerbaijani President Aliyev that, in light of the latest escalation in the Middle East, Berlin plans to promote diversification of the country's energy supply by importing oil and natural gas from Azerbaijan. (2) Merz noted that both sides have conducted detailed discussions on this issue. (3) The talks also covered prospects for renewable energy development, as well as cooperation projects between the two parties in the field of hydrogen technology. (4) In addition, according to a previous report by Bild, due to the escalation of the Middle East conflict, Germany's automobile fuel prices have increased again; at the same time, the government's fuel subsidy policy expired on July 1, further increasing pressure on energy costs.