EU: Blanar Praises Kallas's Statement on Energy Network Protection

Brussels, January 28 (TASR) - Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar has welcomed a statement by EU chief of diplomacy Kaja Kallas that the European Commission (EC) has supported Slovakia and Hungary when it comes to protecting their critical energy network, including pipelines passing through Ukraine to Slovakia, reads a statement issued by the Slovak foreign affairs minister following a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council on Monday (January 27). "First and foremost, we need to provide energy security and stability for our citizens, only then can we help others," said Blanar. He pointed out that technical solutions for gas transit via Ukraine are a long-term subject of negotiations between Slovakia, Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and other parties. Blanar stated that negotiations with the EC on the issue of gas transit will continue at the level of EU Commissioner for Energy Dan Jorgensen and that Hungary will take part in them as well. The Slovak minister also praised Kiev's willingness to transport natural gas from other sources than those in Russia to Europe. According to him, Slovakia has been discussing this possibility with Kiev since the very beginning. "We view the Ukrainian side's willingness to negotiate such transport as a return to the solution we proposed when we spoke about transporting gas, for example, from Azerbaijan," stated Blanar. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also spoke about the possibility of transporting natural gas from Azerbaijan to Europe on Saturday (January 25). According to him, Ukraine can help Slovakia in this way as well. "We can use our network if countries in Europe need natural gas, but not Russian natural gas," said Zelenskyy. ko/df