The Slovak Spectator: Concerns Raised About Gas Transit

Amidst plans of Russia’s Gazprom to start building a pipeline to Turkey this June to get natural gas to Europe without going through Ukraine and cutting off gas transiting Ukraine to western Europe, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico visited Moscow between June 1 and 2. 

He presented the visit as focused on business issues, including gas transit which brings millions of euros into state coffers annually.

“Starting January 1, 2020, the agreement enabling Ukraine to transport Russian gas via its territory to western Europe will become non-effective,” said Fico, as cited by the Pravda daily.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev confirmed this plan to Fico, but according to Russian President Vladimir Putin the political decision whether and when this would really happen has not yet been made.

“If, as a result, Slovakia were to cease to be a transit country, then our country would sustain huge, incalculable economic losses,” said Fico, as cited by the TASR newswire.

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