Slovakia eyes transit of Azerbaijani gas to EU

Bratislava, September 19 - Neftegaz.RU. Relations between Azerbaijan and Slovakia are gradually developing. The 2 countries still have a huge potential for cooperation in the fields of industry, and energy, Azerbaijan´s Trend reported.

Slovakia might be interested in a transit of gas flowing through the Southern Gas Corridor through its pipeline system, Miroslav Lajcak, Slovakia's Minister of Foreign Affairs told Trend.

'As a transit country, Slovakia might even be interested in the transit of certain volumes of gas flowing through the Southern Gas Corridor pipeline through its pipeline system, Lajcak said.

He added that being a country interested in ensuring the energy security of Europe, as well as stable gas prices, Slovakia supports efforts to diversify gas supplies, including supply routes.

'From this point of view, the Southern Gas Corridor, which will provide for the gas transportation of the Azerbaijani gas to Europe via Turkey by 2020, has an undeniable potential to achieve these goals, Lajcak said.

Gas supplies from Azerbaijan to Europe are expected to start from the beginning of 2020 in the amount of 10 billion cu m. In addition, 6 billion cu m of Azerbaijani gas will be delivered to the western regions of Turkey. These deliveries began in the summer of 2018.

In 2018, the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Slovakia amounted to $30.2 million, while this indicator was lower in 2018 $23.1 million.