Azerbaijan ready to resume gas exports to Slovakia - Aliyev

BAKU. Dec 9 (Interfax) - Azerbaijan is ready to resume gas supplies to Slovakia at any time, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said.

"Last year, we began supplying gas to Slovakia, and we are ready to continue doing so whenever appropriate," Ilham Aliyev said during a meeting with Slovak President Peter Pellegrini on Monday, according to a statement from the Azerbaijani president's press service.

Pellegrini noted the relevance of this issue for Slovakia.

"This is a very important topic for us at the moment because, regarding energy supply, Slovakia is currently in a challenging situation. We see that Azerbaijan can be part of the long-term solution for us," he said.

Pellegrini recalled that the European Union has decided to completely ban imports of Russian gas from January 1, 2027.

During a joint statement with Pellegrini given to the press, Aliyev said that the development of new gas fields in Azerbaijan will provide additional resources and create an opportunity for exporting Azerbaijani gas to Slovakia and other countries.

"The number of countries that purchase Azerbaijani gas has already reached 14. We hold first place as an exporter of gas through pipelines. As a result of the development of new gas fields, we will obtain additional resources, and, of course, it will be possible to supply Azerbaijani gas to both Slovakia and its neighbors in even larger volumes," he said.

Currently, total exports of Azerbaijani gas amount to 25 billion cubic meters, half of which is transported to European countries, he said. "Today, eight European Union member states provide for their energy security by purchasing Azerbaijani gas," he said.

The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) began supplying natural gas to Slovakia on December 1, 2024, based on a short-term pilot contract signed on November 12, 2024. The terms of the agreement, including supply volumes and their cost, were not disclosed.