Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar said that the government is ready to approve the 18th package of sanctions against Russia proposed by the European Union, provided that energy security guarantees and compensation for arbitration risks of up to EUR 20 billion are provided, Euractiv reports.
“We evaluate each package of sanctions primarily by its impact on the national economy. In the current discussions, it is clear that the package will not harm Slovakia, and we are ready to support it,” Blanar said.
At the same time, the Minister of Diplomacy stressed that Slovakia needs a clear RePowerEU plan to reduce its energy dependence on Russia and prevent gas supply disruptions. The minister also demanded guarantees on a mechanism to cover possible arbitration losses of almost €20 billion related to contracts for the import of Russian energy.
Formal approval of the sanctions package is expected at a meeting of the European Council, while Slovakia and Hungary have already blocked its adoption in response to plans to gradually abandon Russian gas and oil.
RePowerEU aims to diversify energy sources, improve energy efficiency and prioritise investments in renewable energy sources in order to completely reduce the EU’s dependence on fossil fuels from Russia by 2027.
