Moldova hopes to follow Ukraine in starting purchases of Azerbaijani gas

BAKU. July 29 (Interfax) - The commencement of Azerbaijani gas supplies to Ukraine via the Trans-Balkan route opens a direct path for Moldova to access this resource, Moldovan Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu said when commenting on the agreement between Ukraine's Naftogaz and SOCAR Energy Ukraine, part of the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijani Republic.

"In this context, Moldova could also directly receive gas from Azerbaijan in the future, and Chisinau is open to considering the possibility of concluding a long-term agreement in this direction with an Azerbaijani supplier," Junghietu told Azerbaijan's Report news agency.

He noted that Moldova has already commercially utilized the Greece-Bulgaria interconnector and successfully tested reverse flow through the Trans-Balkan pipeline, delivering liquefied natural gas from the United States.

"We have proven from both technical and economic perspectives that it's possible to transport gas from Greece to storage facilities in Ukraine, and these trial gas supplies provided clear evidence in favor of an alternative business model, previously available exclusively under the dominant model of Russia's Gazprom . Meanwhile, the possibility of using transit infrastructure for gas storage in Ukraine is becoming increasingly attractive and accessible," he said.

As reported, Ukraine's Naftogaz signed an agreement with SOCAR Energy Ukraine on July 28, 2025, for the purchase of Azerbaijani natural gas. The agreement includes test supplies via the Trans-Balkan route through the Bulgaria-Romania-Ukraine corridor.

The Trans-Balkan pipeline is a main gas pipeline running through Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey. Previously used for Russian gas supplies to the Balkans, it is now operating in reverse flow mode.