Slovak president aims to strengthen energy security during upcoming visit to Azerbaijan

President of Slovakia Peter Pellegrini is set to visit Azerbaijan in the coming days to discuss enhancing his country's energy security with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

“I will be heading to Azerbaijan shortly. I have a meeting scheduled with President Aliyev, where I want to reaffirm Slovakia's interest in finding ways to secure our energy safety,” Pellegrini stated during a press conference in Germany, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

He also mentioned that he had discussed his upcoming visit to Baku with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. 

Pellegrini noted that Ukraine plans to halt oil transit from Russia starting January 1, 2025, which will pose significant challenges for Slovakia and other EU countries, including Austria.

Earlier, Azerbaijani Deputy Energy Minister Anar Akhundov met with his Slovakian counterpart, Kamil Shashko, to discuss potential avenues for energy cooperation between the two nations.

"We are currently reviewing 13 additional agreements that are expected to be signed, further strengthening our ties," Akhundov said at the Azerbaijan-Slovakia Business Forum.

The deputy minister noted that 14 documents have already been signed between the parties, including the "Agreement on Economic Cooperation between the Government of Azerbaijan and the Government of Slovakia," which covers industry, construction, transportation, logistics, investment promotion, energy, mining, tourism, small and medium enterprises, and agriculture.

"This agreement has laid a solid foundation for our economic partnership," Akhundov emphasised.

Akhundov also mentioned that trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $31 million over the first eight months of 2024. 

By Naila Huseynova