One Of Gazprom's Last Customers In Europe Has Decided To Buy Gas From Azerbaijan

The country intends to diversify its energy supplies.

Slovakia, one of Gazprom's last major clients in the European Union, is ready to conclude a long-term contract with Azerbaijan for the purchase of natural gas, the country's Deputy Prime Minister and Environment Minister Tomas Taraba said.

"We are discussing the conclusion of a long-term contract with Azerbaijan, for at least 10 years. Slovakia wants to diversify energy supplies and Azerbaijan is a very reliable partner for us," Taraba said.

He said the main problem is the supply of the resource from the Caucasus to Central Europe, but the sides are currently discussing "which pipelines can be used and in what volume." Taraba also thanked Baku for its support during disruptions in Russian gas imports. "During the supply crisis, for example from Ukraine a few months ago, your country was very active in securing supplies to Slovakia," Taraba said.

As The Moscow Times writes, the CEO of Slovakia's largest oil and gas producer SPP Martin Huska had previously said Slovakia was negotiating a long-term gas contract with Azerbaijan's SOCAR. He noted that Bratislava has started looking for new suppliers "capable of supplying the necessary volumes of natural gas at reasonable prices" due to the phasing out of gas imports from Russia. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan has already launched gas supplies to Slovakia in 2024 on the basis of a pilot contract. The terms of the agreement, including export volumes and its cost, were not disclosed.

Slovakia and Hungary remain the last EU countries to directly buy Russian gas. Until January 1, 2025, they received fuel by transit through Ukraine, but after it stopped, gas began to flow through Turkish Stream. Last September, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fitzo said the country receives about 3.5 billion cubic meters of Russian gas a year. Vladimir Putin promised after meeting with Fitzo in May this year that Moscow "will do everything to meet Slovakia's energy needs."

Last year, Gazprom's supplies to the European market fell to 18 billion cubic meters, the lowest level since 1973. Compared to 2024, exports were down 44%, and more than 10 times lower than their pre-war peaks.

A ban on Russian gas imports came into effect in the EU on February 3, but a transition period is envisioned for existing contracts. LNG supplies are to be completely cut off from January 1, 2027, and pipeline gas from September 30, 2027. Slovakia opposed these restrictions. Fitzo called the EU's plan to reject Russian gas "shooting itself in the knee." In late April, Bratislava filed a lawsuit in the EU court against the ban on gas imports from Russia.

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