The Slovak Republic has for the second time blocked the adoption of the 18th package of sanctions against Russia at the level of the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the EU Member States (Coreper). The condition for lifting the veto remains unchanged. This is reported by TASR, according to UNN.

Details

As noted by the communication department of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovakia (MFEA), the Slovak government, led by Prime Minister Robert Fico, has repeatedly stated its refusal to introduce a new package of sanctions without receiving clear guarantees from the European Commission regarding the RePowerEU initiative.

This initiative envisages a complete abandonment of Russian natural gas imports to the EU from January 1, 2028, which, according to Prime Minister Fico, will have significant negative economic consequences for Slovakia.

The Slovak Republic positively assessed the working consultations with representatives of the European Commission on energy issues and the RePowerEU initiative, the purpose of which was to better understand Slovakia’s reservations and requirements as the most affected member state

– stated the MFEA.

As part of these negotiations, a group of high-level experts from the European Commission arrived in Slovakia this week.

Representatives of the Ministry of Economy, energy companies, and industry of Slovakia emphasized that the implementation of RePowerEU poses a serious challenge to the competitiveness of the national economy, particularly with regard to energy prices and energy security.

The ministry also emphasized that Slovakia remains in its current position regarding the sanctions package.

“The Slovak Republic is ready to continue a constructive dialogue with the European Commission and, within this dialogue, jointly seek solutions in the interests of citizens and businesses. At the same time, the current stage of negotiations has not eliminated the key concerns and reservations that remain relevant on the part of Slovakia regarding the RePowerEU initiative,” the MFEA noted.

Recall

On June 10, the EU announced the 18th package of sanctions against Russia, which includes a ban on transactions for Nord Stream 1,2, the addition of 77 shadow fleet vessels to the list, and a reduction in the oil price to 45 dollars.

On June 23, Hungary and Slovakia did not support the 18th package of EU sanctions against Russia. Hungary stated that it would not support a ban on the purchase of Russian oil and gas, or any new arms supplies or financial support to Ukraine.