Ukraine's Shmyhal talks energy security with Slovakian Fico
Denys Schmyhal, Ukrainian Prime Minister, began Monday talks with Robert Fico of Slovakia. He said the discussions would be centered on infrastructure co-operation, energy security and Kyiv’s peace plan.
Fico, along with the Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban, has been a strong critic of Western military assistance to Ukraine. The location of the meeting was not immediately known.
"We will discuss the roadmap" Included in this is cooperation on infrastructure projects, economy and energy security. Shmyhal, on Telegram Messenger, said that Slovakia has always been willing to assist Ukraine in importing electricity.
Fico, the man who made a big deal about halting military aid from the government to Ukraine, while continuing commercial supplies, reiterated that there is no military solution for the Ukrainian-Russian conflict.
Fico stated, "We mean it when we say that we wish you peace as soon as possible."
"Peace is not enough, security must be guaranteed." Above all else, Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected. "We understand everything."
Slovakia, which is a NATO member and EU member and shares a border in Ukraine, opposes Kyiv joining NATO. However, it has a keen interest in maintaining transit of oil from Russia through Ukraine to the west.
Slovak gas purchaser SPP announced this month that it is
Continued negotiations
After Kyiv's Gazprom contract expires in December, it is necessary to extend the gas transit through Ukraine.
Ukraine has said repeatedly that it does not wish to renew the transit agreement, but central European countries depend on Russian gas delivered via pipelines that pass through the country.
Kyiv's actions in 2014 triggered tensions between the two nations
The imposed
Sanctions against the Russian oil company Lukoil that supplied oil to Slovak refineries
Later, the issue was resolved and oil was returned to transit. Reporting by Anastasiia Mlenko, Pavel Polityuk and Jan Lopatka; Editing by Gareth Jones, Ed Osmond and Gareth Jones
(source: Reuters)
