Slovakia is seeking to conclude favorable long-term contracts for natural gas supplies during the current visit to Azerbaijan, as it must stop importing Russian gas from October 2027, APA reports.
According to Slovakia's TASR news agency, Slovak Economy Minister Denisa Saková made the statement after meetings with Azerbaijani officials in the city of Shusha.
Denisa Saková is part of the large government and business delegation accompanying Slovak President Peter Pellegrini, who has been on a visit to Azerbaijan since Monday. On Tuesday, the delegation was received by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Shusha.
According to the minister, Azerbaijan offers natural gas supply contracts to several European Union countries for periods ranging from five to ten years. At present, the country uses about half of its gas production to meet domestic demand and exports the other half. Long-term contracts are needed to attract investment for increasing production.
Saková said the Azerbaijani side had stated that long-term contracts and guarantees for those investments are necessary to finance the expansion of gas production. She added that the possibility of concluding a long-term gas agreement between Slovakia and Azerbaijan would be discussed in Baku on Wednesday.
In Baku, Denisa Saková, together with representatives of Slovak Gas Industry (SPP), will meet with the management of Azerbaijan's state oil and gas company SOCAR.
According to the minister, the discussions concern the supply of approximately 1.2 billion cubic meters of gas annually from Azerbaijan after 2027.
In Shusha, Saková held bilateral meetings with Azerbaijan's ministers of economy and energy. On Wednesday, she will also participate in an economic forum in Baku together with Slovak business representatives.
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