In a move seen as a potential step toward diversifying regional energy flows, Azerbaijan and Ukraine have agreed to initiate their first natural gas shipment between the two countries. The shipment will avoid Russian territory, instead using the Trans-Balkan route that passes through Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania.
The announcement was jointly promoted by Naftogaz, Ukraine’s state-owned energy company, and SOCAR, the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic. According to Naftogaz CEO Sergii Koretskyi, the agreement marks a “strategically important step that paves the way for long-term cooperation,” and is part of broader efforts to diversify energy sources and enhance Ukraine’s energy security.
The volume of the initial shipment is small and described as a test delivery, limiting its immediate impact on Ukraine’s broader energy landscape, particularly in light of ongoing Russian attacks on the country’s gas production and storage infrastructure.
implications for gas geopolitics.
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While the details of the agreement remain limited, energy analysts suggest that this development, though modest in scale, could carry longer-term significance. Francesco Sassi, a researcher specializing in energy geopolitics, notes that although the deal is not transformative on its own, it may represent a shift in regional energy dynamics—especially amid changing EU energy policies and the phaseout of Russian gas transit through Ukraine.
The route chosen bypasses Russian territory, reflecting a growing interest in alternative supply corridors within the European Union. The decision also coincides with the EU’s 18th package of sanctions against Russia, which reportedly emerged from negotiations between Brussels and Slovakia concerning gas supply security.
Whether the new partnership between Baku and Kyiv will evolve into a broader realignment in European gas markets remains to be seen, but the test shipment signals the start of a potentially significant collaboration between the Caspian and Eastern European energy sectors.