The Czech Republic needs strong and stable partners, including non-EU countries and energy resource suppliers, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said on Sunday ahead of a trip to Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan with a large delegation of business representatives.
“We also need strong and stable partners outside the EU. For this purpose, our delegation, which includes the heads of several major Czech companies, is departing for a four-day visit outside Europe - to Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. Negotiations on oil and gas supplies from these countries to the Czech Republic will play an important role,” the prime minister said.
In 2026, Azerbaijan became the largest supplier of oil to the Czech Republic, accounting for 42% of Czech imports.
The business delegation accompanying Prime Minister Babiš includes around 50 leaders of major Czech companies and enterprises from the energy, transport, engineering, and defense sectors, including the engineering groups Škoda Group and Frýdlantské strojírny, the aerospace company Aero Vodochody Aerospace, and AŽD Praha, which produces road traffic safety equipment.
Some of the companies have already begun operations in those countries.
