Slovakia Shifts to Azerbaijani Gas, Phasing Out Reliance on Russian Imports

Slovakia's primary gas purchaser, SPP, has signed a short-term pilot contract to buy natural gas from Azerbaijan. In the future, they aim to explore a long-term agreement to phase out Russian gas supplies via Ukraine.

This was reported by Reuters.

The agreement between Russia and Ukraine for the export of Russian gas to Europe via Ukrainian territory expires at the end of 2024. As a result, Slovakia and other EU countries are beginning to seek alternative sources, with Azerbaijan emerging as one option.

Russia has expressed a willingness to keep supplying gas through Ukraine despite its invasion of Ukraine, but Kyiv has declined to enter discussions on prolonging gas exports.

SPP stated that Slovakia has diversified transit routes to ensure supply continuity if the pipeline through Ukraine is halted. These alternatives include a pipeline from Germany that runs through the Czech Republic.

After Russia launched its full-scale assault on Ukraine in early 2022, Europe faced an immediate challenge due to its heavy dependence on Russian gas, especially as Moscow cut off supplies through the Nord Stream and Yamal-Europe pipelines, crucial energy links to the EU.

In response, Europe quickly adapted. By 2023, Russian pipeline gas accounted for only 8 percent of the EU’s energy imports, a significant drop from over 40 percent in 2021, according to a publication by Politico.