Azerbaijan begins gas supplies to Slovakia
Illustrative photo: SOCAR supplies gas to Slovakia (Getty Images)
Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR has begun supplying gas to Slovakia's state energy supplier, SPP, according to SOCAR's press service.
"Since December 1, 2024, the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) has started gas deliveries to SPP, the largest state energy supplier in Slovakia," the statement says.
As SOCAR clarified, Azerbaijani gas is supplied to Slovakia under a short-term pilot contract. However, the companies are seeking to develop long-term cooperation.
Slovakia is now the 12th country to receive Azerbaijani gas. Deliveries also continue to Türkiye, Georgia, Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, and North Macedonia.
Transit of Russian gas through Ukraine
European countries receive Russian gas via Ukraine based on a contract signed in 2019.
However, this contract expires on December 31, 2024, and Ukraine does not plan to extend it amid the ongoing full-scale war.
As a result, European countries are looking for alternatives to Russian gas. Earlier, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that his country wants to supply gas to EU countries via Ukraine.
