Bratislava, Jan 13 (IANS): Russia will honor its commitment to deliver natural gas to Slovakia in the coming months, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico told local media.
Speaking on the TA3 news channel, Fico stated on Sunday that after the suspension of Russian gas transit through Ukraine to Slovakia on January 1, 2025, alternative routes, including pipelines via Hungary, could be utilised to ensure continued supplies.
He said that Slovakia is set to receive between 3 billion and 3.5 billion cubic metres of gas, roughly matching the volume historically imported from Russia through Ukraine each year, Xinhua news agency reported.
The transit halt followed the expiration of the gas contract between Ukraine and Russia on December 31, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky decided not to renew. As a result, gas flows to Slovakia ceased on January 1.
Despite securing adequate gas storage for the short term, Slovakia still face challenges. Fico said that the country risks to lose 500 million euros (around $510 million) in gas transit fees previously earned for transporting Russian gas through Ukraine to other European nations. Additionally, the halt is expected to drive up gas prices, exacerbating supply shortages.
Fico also warned that the decision by Kyiv would undermine the European Union's (EU's) competitiveness on the global stage, citing that gas prices in Europe are already five times higher than those in the US.
In addition, US president-elect Donald Trump has warned the EU of potential trade tariffs on European exports unless member states increase their purchase of American oil and gas.
On the same day, a Slovak parliamentary delegation arrived in Moscow, according to the News Agency of the Slovak Republic. The six-member delegation, including Slovak National Council vice speakers Andrej Danko and Tibor Gaspar, plans to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and visit the Russian State Duma.
The visit follows Fico's working meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on December 22, 2024.