On July 29, Moldova’s Minister of Energy, Dorin Junghietu, welcomed the decision by Azerbaijan's State Oil Company (SOCAR) to supply gas to Ukraine via the Trans-Balkan pipeline. This follows the first gas supply agreement between Ukraine’s Naftogaz and SOCAR Energy Ukraine. Junghietu noted that Moldova was the first country to test the Vertical Gas Corridor's viability, successfully using the Greece-Bulgaria interconnector and reversing flow on the Trans-Balkan pipeline to deliver LNG from the United States. "We have proven both technically and economically that it is possible to deliver gas from Greece to storage facilities in Ukraine," he stated. These pilot deliveries demonstrated an alternative to the Russian Gazprom model and highlighted the growing appeal of using Ukraine's transit infrastructure for storage.

Junghietu described the Azerbaijani gas deliveries as a new phase in regional efforts to diversify energy sources and strengthen security. He pointed out that in May, Moldova and four other countries introduced a "new regional gas transport product" that allows for gas transmission from Greece to Ukraine at a discount of at least 25% from June to October 2025. The minister expressed Moldova's readiness to explore a long-term gas supply agreement with Azerbaijan, which would position Moldova to import gas directly. He clarified that such an agreement would be a first step, followed by negotiations between commercial operators. Junghietu concluded by reaffirming Moldova's commitment to liberalizing its gas market, emphasizing that "Azerbaijan has already proven itself to be a trustworthy energy partner".