Bratislava is moving towards a long-term supply agreement with Baku as the EU’s timetable for ending Russian gas imports forces Central European governments to secure alternative contracts and routes.
Slovakia is preparing to sign a long-term natural gas agreement with Azerbaijan as Bratislava adjusts to the European Union’s planned phase-out of Russian energy imports. Deputy Prime Minister Tomáš Taraba said Slovakia wanted a contract for at least ten years, presenting Azerbaijan as a reliable supplier at a time when Central Europe is being pushed to replace Russian gas with alternative sources.
The proposed agreement would mark a further step in Slovakia’s effort to diversify its energy supplies after decades of dependence on Russian pipeline gas. The shift is being driven not only by commercial considerations, but also by the EU’s wider policy of removing Russian gas from the European market under the REPowerEU phase-out strategy.
The issue has acquired greater urgency since the end of the Russian gas transit arrangement through Ukraine at the close of 2024. That route had long been one of the main corridors for supplying Central Europe. Its expiry forced countries including Slovakia to reassess supply security, storage policy and access to alternative delivery routes.
Slovakia’s state-backed energy company SPP had already tested Azerbaijani supplies through a short-term pilot arrangement with SOCAR, Azerbaijan’s state energy company. The pilot contract was signed in November 2024, with deliveries beginning in December. It was intended to test whether Azerbaijani gas could form part of a broader replacement strategy for Russian volumes.
According to Taraba, Slovakia now wants to turn that limited arrangement into a more durable contract. He said Azerbaijan had assisted Slovakia during recent supply tensions and could become a stable partner for Central Europe. SPP chief Martin Huska had also confirmed earlier this year that the company was holding preliminary talks with SOCAR.
The timing is significant. The EU has moved from political commitments on reducing Russian energy imports to a legally structured phase-out. Under the latest REPowerEU framework, the bloc is set to end Russian liquefied natural gas imports by the end of 2026 and Russian pipeline gas imports no later than 30 November 2027. Member states are also required to prepare diversification plans identifying how remaining Russian supplies will be replaced.
For Slovakia, the challenge is more complicated than simply signing a new contract. Azerbaijani gas reaches Europe through the Southern Gas Corridor and related infrastructure, but deliveries into Central Europe require sufficient interconnector capacity, transit arrangements and commercial access across several markets. A long-term agreement with Baku would therefore need to be supported by reliable transport routes and regional co-operation.
The deal would also have political weight. Slovakia and Hungary have often argued that a rapid break with Russian energy carries supply and price risks. A long-term Slovak contract with Azerbaijan would show that even governments cautious about decoupling from Russian gas are preparing for the practical consequences of the EU ban.
For Azerbaijan, the agreement would strengthen its position as a supplier to Central Europe. Baku has already sought to expand its energy role beyond south-eastern Europe, where Azerbaijani gas has been more established. President Ilham Aliyev has previously said Azerbaijan is ready to support deliveries to Central European markets, and SOCAR has been expanding its commercial contacts in the region.
The proposed Slovak-Azerbaijani contract would not, on its own, resolve Slovakia’s energy security concerns. Its value would depend on the terms of the agreement, available volumes, pricing, transport capacity and the reliability of routes linking Azerbaijani gas to Central Europe.
For Bratislava, the wider objective is to reduce exposure to Gazprom without creating a similar dependence elsewhere. That means combining any long-term Azerbaijani supply with LNG, regional hub purchases, storage planning and closer co-operation with neighbouring EU states.
The agreement would therefore be best understood as one part of Slovakia’s post-Russian gas strategy. It could provide a more predictable contractual basis for future procurement, but it would still need to fit within a broader and more flexible supply system.
