Oct 26 (Reuters) – Slovakia will continue to pursue its national interests and develop cooperation with Russia in areas not affected by sanctions, Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar said on Monday after talks in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Blanar was in Moscow as Slovakia aimed to discuss Russian energy supplies while resuming a cooperation process suspended after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
• The restart of consultations follows repeated trips to Moscow by Prime Minister Robert Fico, whose views stand out in the 27-member EU since the defeat of pro-Russian Hungarian leader Viktor Orban in an April election
• Energy was a main topic of the renewed intergovernmental commission that held talks on Monday, the Slovak Foreign Ministry said, adding that Blanar was informed that Russia remained ready to fulfil agreed contracts
• Slovakia buys Russian oil and gas but is meant to stop the gas purchases by late 2027 under an EU plan to deprive Russia of financial resources that fund its war in Ukraine
• “The Russian Federation is difficult to replace for the stability of energy supplies not only for Slovakia, but also for global energy trade, which is evident now amid the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz,” Blanar said
• “Slovakia is a member of the European Union and NATO and we respect the rules that bind us, but within those we seek opportunities for cooperation in the interest of Slovakia’s national interests,” he added
(Reporting by Jason Hovet in Prague; Editing by Xevi Fontdegloria)
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