Ukraine's new sanctions law will not be used to the detriment of Slovakia, with gas flows from Russia to be provided by Ukraine as they have been until now, Slovak Economy Minister Pavol Pavlis learnt from his Ukrainian counterpart Yuriy Prodan in Kiev on Tuesday.
“This is an important piece of news for us, one that we want to take back home”, said Pavlis while in Kiev. As stipulated in a recent agreement, Slovakia has modernised the Vojany-Uzhgorod gas pipeline and is thus able to provide a reverse flow from Western Europe to Ukraine. Kiev has been at variance with Russia on gas prices and on paying off its debt to Moscow for a long time, and supplies have even been cut in the past. However, Ukraine still enables gas supplies to European customers, including Slovakia. As a result of the law approved in Ukraine last week, restrictions may in the future apply to the transit of Russian goods across Ukraine. “Slovakia is a country that has provided Ukraine with the possibility of gas supplies very promptly under the reverse flow. We now expect reciprocity in solidarity in that Slovakia will continue to receive gas from Russia”, said Pavlis. “I have to take the minister's word [Prodan's] for it that the law won't be used against Slovakia”, said Pavlis. Prodan voiced his appreciation for Slovakia's provision of the reverse flow and gave assurances that Ukraine will do its best not to jeopardise gas supplies. The approved law is only a framework piece of legislation that makes no explicit mention of gas or oil, said Prodan, with the decision on sanctions in the hands of the country's national security council. According to Prodan, gas supplies to Europe are fully in the hands of Russia's Gazprom now, with Ukraine having no influence on Gazprom's moves. Slovakia has sealed a long-term contract with Gazprom on gas supplies until 2029, said Pavlis, voicing Slovakia's commitment to keeping to the contract. After the talks, Pavlis laid wreaths at a memorial to the victims of the recent protests on Kiev's Independence Square. Both officials are set to meet again in Vojany (Košice region) on September 2, when the reverse-flow pipeline is scheduled to begin running at full capacity.
