BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 1. Ukraine and Azerbaijan are capable of making a significant contribution to strengthening Europe’s energy security, including by expanding access to non-Russian gas and oil supplies and utilizing Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said, Trend reports.
He made the remark at the plenary session of ministers on
“International Cooperation for a Resilient and Diversified Energy
Future,” held as part of Baku Energy Week.
Denys Shmyhal noted that regional and global energy security must
be ensured through joint efforts.
According to him, Azerbaijan announced the provision of 11 energy aid packages to Ukraine during the full-scale war. The minister emphasized that the Azerbaijani side provided generators, transformers, cable products, and other critically important equipment, which helped Ukraine get through last winter and prepare for the next one.
The minister also stated that Ukraine has developed a number of approaches to ensuring the resilience of the energy system based on its experience in countering attacks on energy infrastructure. Among them, he cited the shift from protecting individual facilities to protecting functions, the integration of protection mechanisms directly into energy systems, the development of distributed energy resources, the acceleration of facility restoration following attacks, and the diversification of energy sources and supply routes.
Shmyhal noted that Ukraine is already part of the new European gas map, including the Trans-Balkan route, through which Caspian gas can be delivered to energy-deficient regions of Europe.
According to him, the first test deliveries of Azerbaijani gas via this route have demonstrated the viability of this initiative.
In addition, the minister noted that Ukraine possesses Europe’s largest underground gas storage facilities, with a total capacity of approximately 30 billion cubic meters, which could become part of the new supply architecture.
“Azerbaijan will strengthen its role as a reliable supplier, Ukraine will reinforce its position as a key transit and service hub, and Europe will gain stable alternative sources of energy supply,” he stated.
