By Azernews

By Rasana Gasimova

Relations between Azerbaijan and Slovakia are gradually developing. The two countries still have a huge potential for cooperation in the fields of industry, energy, agriculture, tourism, ICT and transport.

Slovakia might be interested in a transit of gas flowing through the South 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.

Note that the “South Gas Corridor” project involves construction of pipeline infrastructure for the transportation of Azerbaijani gas produced as part of the development of the Shah Deniz-2 field via Turkey to Europe.

The main components of the project are Shah Deniz-2, the expansion of the Baku-Georgia-Turkey border South Caucasus pipeline route, the construction of the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline (TANAP) from the eastern to western borders of Turkey and the Trans-Adriatic pipeline (TAP), connecting Greece, Albania and Adriatic Sea in the south of Italy.

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

Presently, there are 11 Slovak companies operating in Azerbaijan, which are engaged in trade, construction and transport.

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