Slovakia considers Azerbaijan a key partner in gas supplies, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini said in an interview with AnewZ TV, Report informs.
Pellegrini said that after the start of the conflict in Eastern Europe between Russia and Ukraine and the ensuing energy crisis, Baku immediately offered Bratislava part of its capacity through various routes.
“It was Azerbaijan that immediately offered us part of the capacity, both through TurkStream and other routes via Bulgaria and Italy to Austria. We received gas from Azerbaijan, but now we are looking for a long-term solution, because there is an offer from Azerbaijan to supply gas to Central Europe,” he said.
Pellegrini said Slovakia views Azerbaijan as a key partner in diversifying its energy supplies.
“After 2027, the European Union would like to stop buying Russian gas. So we need to diversify, and we see Azerbaijan as one of the key players in this matter,” the Slovak president said.
He noted that equal partnership relations have developed between Baku and Bratislava.
“We are not trying to look at Azerbaijan as a buyer, as many others do, thinking: Azerbaijan is a rich country, let us try to sell something to them. In Slovakia, we prefer to treat each other as partners,” Pellegrini said.
He added that this means cooperation in various areas, including the defense industry.
“I have discussed with our defense minister a joint project to produce new military equipment that will be manufactured by companies from both countries and will then be able to enter new markets through Azerbaijan, bringing benefits to both sides,” Pellegrini said.
Earlier, it was stated that Slovakia intends to buy about 1.2 billion cubic meters of gas per year from Azerbaijan after 2027.