Azerbaijan is ready to supply natural gas to Ukraine if needed and is exploring the use of Ukraine's underground gas storage facilities to strengthen regional energy security.

Axar.az informs, citing Repоrt, that Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov made the remarks at a joint press conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha in Kyiv on Thursday.

He said the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) had maintained a long-standing presence in the Ukrainian market, continued to operate actively in the country, and had extensive plans to further expand energy cooperation.

Bayramov noted that Azerbaijan and Ukraine were currently engaged in an active and dynamic dialogue on additional mutually beneficial areas of energy cooperation.

He also stressed Azerbaijan's strategic role in Europe's energy security, noting that the country currently supplies natural gas to 12 European nations, including 10 EU member states. In this context, he said Azerbaijan would be ready to supply gas to Ukraine should the need arise.

Bayramov added that the possible use of Ukraine's underground gas storage facilities could become another promising area of bilateral cooperation, helping to enhance the energy security of the wider region. He said Azerbaijan viewed this as a highly promising direction for future cooperation.