Blanar: Slovakia to Pursue Cooperation with Russia Where Sanctions Allow
Moscow/Bratislava, 26 October (TASR) – Slovakia will continue to pursue its national interests and develop cooperation with Russia in areas not affected by sanctions, Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar declared on Monday after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, TASR learnt from the ministry's press department on the same day.
Blanar is leading a Slovak delegation in Russia, on behalf of the Slovak government, at a session of the Intergovernmental Commission for Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation between Slovakia and the Russian Federation. Relations between the two countries have been and will remain pragmatic and constructive, he stated.
As announced earlier, the talks revolved around Slovakia's energy security, bilateral relations with an emphasis on economic cooperation, and developments in the war in Ukraine. "We need to keep the lines of communication with Russia open, including in the context of addressing issues arising from European Commission decisions on moving away from Russian energy sources. I discussed the REPowerEU legislation with the minister. Slovakia voted against it at EU level and has also filed a legal challenge against it," said Blanar.
He underlined that the Commission's decision could pose a risk to the long-term contract between the Russian side and SPP, Slovakia's state-owned gas company.
"The contract runs until 2034 under the 'take-or-pay' principle. If arbitration proceedings were to take place and we lost, we would pay twice — for supplies from a new source and, at the same time, billions in penalties," he said.
According to the Slovak Foreign Ministry, Lavrov told Blanar that Russia remains ready to fulfil its contractual commitments. He also outlined current dialogue with the United States regarding sanctions in the energy sector.
"The Russian Federation is difficult to replace when it comes to ensuring energy supply stability, not only for Slovakia but also for global energy trade, as we can see in the current crisis in the Strait of Hormuz. Slovakia is a member of the European Union and NATO, and we respect the rules that bind us. Within that framework, however, we seek opportunities for cooperation that serve Slovakia's national interests," said Blanar.
The ministers also discussed the war in Ukraine. Blanar said that the Slovak government supports compliance with international law and has called for a diplomatic rather than military solution from the outset.
"We agreed that it's essential to take the causes of the conflict into account and actively support dialogue with all parties. The Russian side provided us with further details of its positions and the progress of talks currently under discussion, aimed at moving peace negotiations to the next level. Slovakia actively supports peace talks, and at this meeting I also offered Bratislava as a venue for preparatory meetings at a lower level," said Blanar, adding that Lavrov had described the proposal as acceptable.
At the start of his working visit to Russia, Blanar paid tribute to the victims of the Second World War at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Alexander Garden.
