Ukraine begins test gas imports from Azerbaijan via southern route
Photo: EPA

Naftogaz Group has signed its first gas purchase agreement with SOCAR Energy Ukraine, Naftogaz CEO Sergiy Koretsky announced on Monday.

So far, this is a pilot delivery of a small volume of gas. However, according to Koretsky, it is a strategically important step that opens up prospects for long-term cooperation with Azerbaijan and helps diversify Ukraine’s gas supply sources.

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Gas imports from Azerbaijan will be carried out via the new Trans-Balkan corridor, which runs through Bulgaria and Romania.

Azerbaijan possesses significant natural gas reserves and is actively expanding its network of international clients.

In early June, the Azerbaijani state oil company SOCAR signed a multi-year contract to supply 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas annually to the German state-owned company SEFE.

Azerbaijan currently supplies gas to Bulgaria, Hungary, Greece, Georgia, Italy, Romania, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Croatia. In 2024 alone, the country exported 12.9 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe.

  • On July 22, 2024, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that his country is ready to supply gas to the European Union via Ukraine after the transit contract with Gazprom expires at the end of 2024.
  • On January 25, 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine is ready to use its gas infrastructure for transporting Azerbaijani gas.
  • In February, Ukrainian officials confirmed that work continues on Ukraine’s involvement in transporting Azerbaijani gas to Europe. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhiy Tykhyi emphasized that the gas in question originates from Azerbaijan, not a substitution from other sources.