BRATISLAVA, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The supplies of Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline to Slovakia have been secured, Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar said here Wednesday.
The European Union (EU) in 2022 passed sanctions on the import of Russian oil into the bloc in response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. However, a temporary exemption was granted to Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic to allow them time to find other crude sources.
After the Ukrainian side put the Russian company Lukoil's oil transit on the sanction list in June this year, oil supply via the transit to Slovakia has been suspended since July.
The issue was solved recently when an agreement was concluded between Hungary's MOL company, of which the Slovak oil refinery Slovnaft is a member, and oil suppliers and pipeline operators. MOL will thus become the oil owner at the Belarus-Ukrainian border and the Russian oil will continue to flow to Slovakia and Hungary, which is a piece of good news for Slovak motorists and the entire economy, Blanar said on social media.
The foreign minister said he was glad that Ukraine accepts this technical solution, by which people of Slovakia and Hungary are ensured oil supply at an unchanged price and with the necessary quality.
He also expressed his thanks towards Hungary, but not the European Commission.
Despite the violations of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, the European Commission has not helped to find a solution or aid the people of Slovakia and Hungary, according to Blanar. ■