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Slovakia plans negotiations on gas materials, Ukraine transit next week

Slovakia will perform a series of settlements from next week to guarantee Russian gas supplies after its existing transit contract that involves Ukraine expires at completion of this year, federal government officials stated on Friday.

Slovakia has a long-term contract with Russia's Gazprom and wished to keep Russian gas imports through Ukraine. But they will cease at the end of 2024 as Ukraine does not plan to restore the transit contract it has with Gazprom.

You might witness in the nearest days, including during the Christmas holidays, extraordinarily extensive settlements on different levels and in different nations that start already next week, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico informed a news conference broadcast on Facebook.

News website

www.dennikn.sk quoted Economy Minister Denisa Sakova as stating the talks would consist of the European Commission, Ukraine, and EU member states.

Fico said he intended to secure the extension of eastern supplies to prevent paying more in transit charges for gas from other directions.

We do not see any reason to pay more for gas than is necessary for geopolitical factors, Fico said.

I think that, even if there is a short-term failure of materials from the east, we are adequately pre-stocked, that we will discover a common option for multiple nations of the European Union and we preserve transit of gas through Slovak area and likewise the transit of gas through Ukrainian territory.

Slovak authorities have actually sought

alternative schemes

for transit of gas through Ukraine which would not require direct arrangement in between Ukraine and Russia, however have not reached any offer.

(source: Reuters)