Bratislava optimistic as EU renews talks on Ukrainian gas transit
Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar said on Monday that Bratislava is pleased with the European Commission's announcement regarding talks with Kyiv about gas transfer and hopes for the resumption of discussions about the transport of Azerbaijani resources through Ukraine.
"From the beginning, we have been in discussions with the Ukrainian government about the possibility of transporting gas other than Russian gas through Ukraine. We see their willingness to engage in talks about such transit as a positive step toward a solution we proposed, which includes discussions about the transmission of gas from countries like Azerbaijan," Blanar's statement read.
The European Commission negotiates with Ukraine on gas transfer
Kyiv decided not to extend the agreement on the transit of Russian gas, which expired at the end of the year. Hungary and Slovakia viewed this as a threat to their energy security, prompting Bratislava to intervene with the European Commission.
Following Prime Minister Robert Fico's visit on January 9, the European Commission committed to engaging in talks with Ukraine and established a special working group that includes EU and Slovak government officials.
On Monday, after the meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Hungary and Slovakia received assurances that the European Commission will continue to negotiate with Ukraine to enable gas transit through the country.
The European Commission's statement indicated a commitment to requesting assurances from Ukraine regarding the maintenance of oil pipeline transmissions to the EU.
