Slovak PM seeks Türkiye's help for security of Russian gas supplies
Photo: Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (Getty Images)
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico discussed with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan the potential for ensuring the security of Russian gas supplies through Türkiye. The Turkish president promised Ankara's assistance in finding a solution with Moscow, Bloomberg reports.
Türkiye expressed its willingness to negotiate with Slovakia and Russia to find a solution.
"Let's take a step... Let’s reach a conclusion on Slovakia’s natural gas needs," said Erdoğan.
He also added that the Turkish Foreign Minister would reach out to Russia's Foreign Minister, who would then speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Fico believes that an alternative solution could be found for supplying Russian gas to Slovakia via the Turkish Stream pipeline, and further to Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary.
However, he did not provide details regarding the potential solution or the volumes of gas.
"Russian partners need to get involved and confirm if they are prepared to increase the volume of this gas to reach Slovak territory," Fico said during a press conference.
Fico concluded that Slovakia's Minister of Economy would visit Türkiye for further discussions on this issue next week.
It should be noted that today, January 20, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico held a meeting.
During the talks, they also agreed on the need to establish a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
