Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev conveyed Saturday expectation that demand for gas from his country would increase in the upcoming years in Europe, as the number of countries it exports this commodity to would increase from the current eight.

Aliyev said at a news conference in the capital Baku following a meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze that he sees Tbilisi as a reliable trade partner and gas transit route for Baku.

"Azerbaijani gas is transported through the territory of Georgia to several countries. In general, the number of countries receiving Azerbaijani gas has reached eight, and this is not the limit. The number of these countries will increase in the near future. The demand for Azerbaijani energy resources on the European continent is growing every year and will continue to grow," he emphasized.

Azerbaijan has resources, financial investment opportunities and extensive transit opportunities, he noted.

"Our energy projects will ensure the energy security of many countries, and Azerbaijan and Georgia act as two reliable partners here," he said.

Aliyev underscored the importance of developing transport infrastructure in the region, particularly the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway as "attractive for many countries."

"In a couple of months, the capacity of this railway will be increased from 1 to 5 million tons. The operation of this railway will be attractive for many countries," he said.

Kobakhidze, for his part, said the two countries have "great prospects" for cooperation in the energy and transport sectors.

On Dec. 31, 2020, Azerbaijan began commercial gas supplies to Europe via the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline, which is an integral part of the Southern Gas Corridor.

The buyers of Azerbaijani gas are Bulgaria, Hungary, Greece, Georgia, Italy, Romania, Serbia and Türkiye.