Slovakia will receive a significantly larger share of gas supplies from PJSC Gazprom via Turkey and Hungary through the Turkish Stream pipeline, which will alleviate concerns about supplies after the cessation of transit through Ukraine. Meanwhile, there are currently no clear deadlines for the possible resumption of transit through Ukraine, said Slovak Economy Minister Denisa Sakova, UNN reports, citing Bloomberg.
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Starting on Tuesday, the country will begin receiving supplies in an amount "multiple" of the current one, Vojtech Ferenc, CEO of state-owned utility Slovensky Plynarensky Priemysl AS, told reporters in Bratislava. He declined to specify the volumes.
The additional Russian fuel, the publication writes, will bring "some relief" to landlocked Slovakia, one of the countries most affected by Moscow's halt to supplies to Europe via Ukraine earlier this year. Although Gazprom will continue to ship the same amount of gas to Europe via Turkish Stream, a large share will now go to Slovakia just as the crucial season for building up stocks for next winter begins, the publication points out.
Slovakia began receiving Russian gas via the Turkish Stream pipeline in February. Most of Europe has abandoned Russian pipeline gas since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. However, several countries, including Slovakia, have continued to rely on Gazprom supplies via Ukraine and have been "forced" to buy more expensive supplies elsewhere, the publication writes.
There are currently no clear deadlines for the possible resumption of transit through Ukraine, Slovak Economy Minister Denisa Sakova said at the same briefing. Sakova is said to be in regular talks with the European Commission on the issue.
SPP's Commercial Director Michal Lalik added that while repairs to the Russian gas metering station "sudja" may take some time, other connection points are functioning.