Azerbaijan planning to supply gas to Slovakia - Aliyev

BAKU. May 7 (Interfax) - Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has announced plans to supply Azerbaijani gas to Slovakia.

Aliyev said in a joint press release with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in Baku on Tuesday that they had discussed energy cooperation at great length. Azerbaijan supplies gas to eight countries and hopes that Slovakia will become the ninth, he said.

Documents for the Solidarity Ring project were signed in April 2023 to promote the supply of Azerbaijani gas to the Slovak market, Aliyev said.

Azerbaijan is increasing gas production, and new deposits are being discovered and commissioned, Aliyev said. At the same time, Azerbaijan is implementing a vast green agenda by building a large number of solar plants and wind farms, he said, adding that the saved gas will be exported to Europe in the first instance.

Azerbaijan increased gas exports by 5.3% to 23.8 billion cubic meters in 2023, including 11.8 billion cubic meters of gas supplied to Europe [up 3.5%]. This year, Azerbaijani gas exports will exceed 24 billion cubic meters, including around 12 billion cubic meters to be exported to Europe.

Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Serbia are the current European buyers of Azerbaijani gas. Some other European countries have expressed an interest in buying Azerbaijani gas.

Turkey and Georgia also buy Azerbaijani gas.