PS: Minister Taraba Betraying Slovakia's Interests Regarding Gabcikovo Dam Issue

Bratislava, 9 July (TASR) – Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (an SNS nominee) is betraying Slovakia's national interests in negotiations over the Gabcikovo Waterworks, opposition party Progressive Slovakia (PS) claimed at a press conference on Tuesday. The claim was made by Tamara Stohlova, vice-chair of the House agriculture and environment committee, alongside Government Proxy for the Gabcikovo Dam Metod Spacek. Stohlova accused Taraba of manufacturing a sense of urgency around the issue only to present a solution in which Slovakia is the one expected to make concessions despite having no legal obligation to do so. "The minister is talking about the need to share electricity with Hungary, even though there is no binding requirement. He claims there is an urgent need to reach an agreement now, even though nothing is pressuring us to act at this moment," she stressed. According to PS, none of the minister's actions serve Slovakia's interests. "We believe that Minister Taraba is not acting in Slovakia’s interests, as the steps that he is taking are disadvantageous for our country. The only justification we hear from him is a vague threat of a potential new international dispute," said Stohlova. Government Proxy Spacek emphasised that Slovakia retaining full electricity production from Gabcikovo has always been considered to be a strategic national interest by all governments since 1993 - including multiple cabinets led by Smer. Any agreement with Hungary involving the transfer of electricity below market value would, according to Spacek, represent a major concession and a departure from long-standing national priorities. "From the perspective of those involved in the Gabcikovo–Nagymaros dispute, such a shift is incomprehensible," he said. He also confirmed that no legal dispute currently exists between Slovakia and Hungary over Gabcikovo, either at the International Court of Justice or elsewhere. "There isn't even a clearly defined contentious issue at this time. While the 1977 treaty does need to be revised to reflect today's reality, no urgent factor compels immediate action," said Spacek. He warned that if an agreement were signed under the parameters reportedly being considered, it would amount to a significant loss for Slovakia’s strategic interests and a major gain for Hungary. mf/df