Azernews.Az

BAKU – At the later stages of the year the Ukraine and Azerbaijan may sign agreements on annual supplies of five million tons of oil and seven billion cubic meters of liquefied gas to the Ukraine, the Azerbaijani Industry and Energy Minister Natig Aliyev said in an interview with the Ukrainian government newspaper "Uryadovy Kuryer", Reuters reported.

"The question is about expanding the existing oil and gas corridor to five million tons per year and the supply of five to seven billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas to the Ukrainian market by way of a bunker. Both agreements were assessed by the governments, and I think that until the new year, after certain coordination, they will be signed," Aliyev said.

The Ukraine in recent months intensified the search for alternative sources to Russian oil, calling Azerbaijan as one of the most probable. From the beginning of the year the Ukraine received about one million tons of Azerbaijani crude oil, which is five times higher than imports in 2009, Reuters reported.

Azerbaijani supplies can help Kiev to launch its oil pipeline, Odessa-Brody, directly towards Europe, which since 2004 is pumping Russian oil in the opposite direction to the Black Sea.

At present, the possibility of swap supplies of Azerbaijani oil to Belarus is being given attention. Azerbaijani oil will reach Ukrainian ports, and from there will go on to Belarus.