Slovakia and Russia sign agreement on oil supplies until 2029

Slovakia's Economy Minister Pavol Pavlis signed an international agreement with Russia on the supply of oil to Slovakia and the transit of oil across Slovakia in Moscow on Friday. As reported by Economy Ministry spokesperson Miriam Žiaková, the agreement is aimed at securing continuity in terms of stable and reliable oil supplies between 1^st January 2015 and 31^st December 2029. "I'm happy that we had the opportunity to sign the agreement together, creating conditions for our businesses to sign individual agreements. Also of utmost importance for us is the part of the agreement that involves the transit of oil in equal volumes," emphasised Pavlis. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak stated that the agreement is also viewed as vital by Russia. "Slovakia is a trustworthy partner for us and we're interested in cooperation," said the Russian politician. However, Alexander Novak couldn't provide an exact date for resuming natural gas supplies to Slovakia in the agreed volumes. "As I had pledged, I informed the Gazprom head in person as regards your concerns. The winter season is approaching, we're working on filling reservoirs with an aim to secure continuous supplies of gas for European clients in the winter months," said Novak in response to Pavlis' question concerning the cuts in gas flow from Russia to Slovakia and the prospect for resuming supply of agreed volumes. Meanwhile, a decrease in gas flow from Russia via Ukraine to Slovakia was first detected in September, with the deliveries dropping by almost 50 percent compared to volumes usually seen before the winter season.