“I can imagine a complete cut-off of Slovakia from energy supplies from Russia”, Prime Minister Eduard Heger said on Thursday after arriving at the summit of EU leaders in Versailles, France. "Energy prices are already extremely high and they are high precisely because of what [Russian President] Vladimir Putin is doing. That is why we must stop him because war has the highest price," said the Slovak premier when asked if the move would not lead to rising energy prices.
Heger pointed out that the Slovak delegation was going to the summit in Versailles with specific proposals for the European perspective of Ukraine, for example, to set up a European fund for the post-war restoration of Ukraine as well as to support its integration process, including the necessary legislative reforms. In this context, the Slovak Government will also propose to elaborate an action plan for Ukraine's accession to the EU, as part of which our eastern neighbour should obtain the status of a candidate country.
Parliamentary Chair Boris Kollar has convened an extraordinary meeting of Parliament on the energy interests of Slovakia, Parliament Office's press department said on Thursday, adding that the session is due to start at 12.30 p.m. on Wednesday (March 16). Parliament should discuss at the meeting the proposal of a group of MPs to approve Slovakia's position on the threat to the strategic energy interests of the Slovak economy and citizens. The extraordinary meeting was requested by the opposition Smer-SD party. This is the opposition's response to speculations about a potential halt in gas and oil supplies from Russia. Smer-SD wants Slovakia to oppose such a proposal.
According to Fico, President Zuzana Caputova and Premier Eduard Heger admit they are ready to agree with halting gas and oil supplies from Russia. If such a decision is made, it would result in a rapid increase in fuel prices. He noted that Slovakia would also lose revenues from transit. In case of a steep increase in gas and oil prices we must count on increased prices of everything, added Fico.
Source: TASR
