Slovakia seeks long-term gas deal with Azerbaijan to replace Russian supplies
Gas production site (photo: Getty Images)
Slovakia plans to sign a long-term contract with Azerbaijan for natural gas supplies for at least ten years. Country Deputy Prime Minister Tomas Taraba announced this. The EU has obligated all member states to phase out Russian gas by November 1, 2027, the Report says.
Details of negotiations
According to Taraba, Azerbaijan is "a very reliable partner" for Slovakia in the diversification of energy supplies. Sides are discussing which pipelines can be used and in what volumes.
Azerbaijani company SOCAR is already holding talks with Slovakia's largest energy operator SPP. In 2024, Azerbaijan began supplying gas to Slovakia under a pilot contract.
Why this matters
Slovakia remains one of the few EU countries still importing Russian oil and gas. It receives oil through the Druzhba pipeline and gas through the TurkStream, bypassing the Ukrainian gas transit system.
After oil transit through Druzhba was halted on January 27, 2026, due to a Russian strike on Ukraine, Bratislava intensified its search for alternatives.
Rejection of Russian gas is becoming a Europe-wide trend. Russia wants to redirect gas exports to Asia, but this could lead to a significant drop in revenues as logistics costs would rise several times over.
Against this backdrop, the US sharply increased LNG exports to Europe. American suppliers already account for about two-thirds of liquefied gas imports to the EU, and their share could rise to 80% by 2028.
