Slovak PM calls urgent meeting on Druzhba pipeline after Moscow visit

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has convened an urgent meeting with representatives of Transpetrol, the operator of the Slovak section of the Druzhba oil pipeline, following his visit to Russia, TASS reports.

“Today, I will take part in an emergency meeting with Transpetrol. I have important information [on prospects for cooperation with Russia in the energy sector] following my visit to Moscow. These developments need to be discussed,” Fico told journalists.

Due to the urgency of the situation, he cancelled his planned participation in state commemorations on May 10, marking the 81st anniversary of the end of World War II in the city of Liptovský Mikuláš in northern Slovakia. Fico attended Victory Day celebrations in Moscow on May 9 and held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Commenting on EU plans to diversify energy sources, Fico said he supports diversification but insisted that access to Russian oil and gas should remain possible, noting that Russian supplies are significantly cheaper than alternatives.

He also recalled that the Slovnaft refinery in Bratislava is historically configured to process Russian crude oil.

Fico declined to predict how EU energy supply dynamics would evolve after the end of the conflict in Ukraine, saying that settlement remains complex due to deep disagreements between the sides.

By Jeyhun Aghazada