Reuters: Slovak PM Fico does not see gas transit through Ukraine halted after June 1

Transit of natural gas to Europe via Ukraine is likely to continue after June 1 even if Russia halts supplies for Ukraine's own consumption, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Friday.

"Experts believe that the most probable scenario is that supplies to Ukraine will be halted, (while) transit through Ukraine to Slovakia to western customers will continue," Fico told a news conference in Bratislava.

He said Gazprom could take more radical decisions in the future if gas gets lost or stolen on the way through Ukraine in the following months.

"But as far as June 1 is concerned, we expect transit of gas should continue and Slovakia should not in the summer months observe what it witnessed in January 2009 (when shipments were halted)."
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