EU, Slovakia to set up gas transit working group excluding Ukraine

The European Union and Slovakia have announced the creation of a high-level working group focused on gas transit, which will not include Ukraine.

European Commission spokesperson for Climate Action and Energy Anna-Kaisa Itkonen confirmed the development during a briefing in Brussels, stating that the working group would consist of high-ranking officials from both the EU and Slovakia, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media.

The announcement follows consultations in Brussels on January 9, which involved Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.

“The high-level working group will be at a technical level, and we expect it to begin its work in the coming weeks,” Itkonen said.

When questioned about Ukraine’s participation, Itkonen confirmed that while Ukraine would not be included in the group, the European Commission remains in constant contact with the Ukrainian authorities on related matters.

The formation of the working group comes amid ongoing discussions regarding the future of gas transit in the region, particularly in light of the shifting energy landscape.

The working group will consist of high-level EU and Slovak officials, and it is expected to begin its work in the coming weeks.

The European Commission decided to form the working group to "further explore and identify options based on a joint assessment of the situation" and to determine how the EU can offer assistance.

Prime Minister Fico noted that a new round of EU gas consultations scheduled for January 7 had been disrupted due to the absence of the Ukrainian delegation.

Gas transit through Ukraine was terminated on January 1, when Ukraine refused to extend the agreement, leading to the complete cessation of Russian gas supplies to Europe via Ukrainian pipelines. Gazprom later stated that Ukraine's refusal removed the technical and legal possibility for Russia to continue gas supplies through this route. Data from European gas transport operators confirmed that supplies to Austria, Italy, Moldova, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic were halted.

While Ukraine will not be part of the new working group, the European Commission emphasized that it remains in constant contact with Ukrainian authorities on the issue.

By Vafa Guliyeva