Russian
state gas firm OAO Gazprom
will increase imports of natural gas from Azerbaijan to 3 billion cubic
meters in 2012, the company said late Thursday.
Gazprom
imported 800 million cubic meters from Azerbaijan's state energy company
Socar in 2010, and had bought 1.36 billion cubic meters between January and
November this year, Gazprom
said.
The European Union is seeking gas supplies from Azerbaijan
through the Nabucco pipeline project to diversify away from Russia.