KYIV, July 28 (Reuters) - Ukraine's state-owned oil and gas major Naftogaz has signed its first deal with Azerbaijan's SOCAR to import natural gas via the Transbalkan route, it said on Monday.

"For the first time, a test shipment of gas is being delivered through the Transbalkan route along the Bulgaria–Romania–Ukraine corridor," Naftogaz said in a statement on its website.

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The Ukrainian company said the agreement was for a small volume of gas, and did not specify timelines.

"This is a small volume but strategically important step that paves the way for long-term cooperation," Naftogaz CEO Serhiy Koretskyi was quoted in the statement.

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/ukraine-signs-first-transbalkan-gas-deal-with-azerbaijans-socar-2025-07-28/