Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov made the statement during a joint press conference in Kyiv with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

Bayramov said that energy cooperation is one of the key pillars of economic relations between Azerbaijan and Ukraine. In this context, he noted that the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) has been operating in the Ukrainian market for decades.

"I can say even more – SOCAR also has plans for the future development of energy cooperation between our countries," Bayramov said.

According to him, Baku and Kyiv are engaged in an "extremely dynamic dialogue on mutually important aspects of energy cooperation."

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Bayramov described Ukraine's underground gas storage system – the largest in Europe – as a highly valuable asset. He also emphasized Azerbaijan's important role in supplying energy resources and strengthening energy security across Europe.

"This is not only about volumes, but also about geography. Azerbaijan supplies gas to 16 countries, including 12 in Europe, 10 of which are EU member states. If the need arises, we will be pleased to supply gas to our friendly partner Ukraine. At the same time, Azerbaijan and Ukraine can cooperate more broadly on energy security by making use of Ukraine's underground gas storage facilities. We see this as an important area of our cooperation," Bayramov said.

As reported, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said during the 4th Global Media Forum in Shusha that Azerbaijan's natural gas exports to the European Union have increased by 65% since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and that the country is ready to further expand production.