Blanar Discusses Coordination with Hungarian Counterpart Szijjarto on REPowerEU

Brussels, 4 December (TASR) – Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar has held talks with his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto regarding the EU's REPowerEU proposal on the sidelines of the NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels, TASR was told by the ministry's communications department on Thursday. The REPowerEU initiative envisages a legally binding and gradual ban on the import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and pipeline gas from Russia to Europe no later than in the autumn of 2027. Describing the meeting with Szijjarto as "particularly important", Blanar stated that they spoke about coordination when "addressing the Court of Justice of the European Union to defend our national interests regarding the ban on Russian gas imports". According to Blanar, the European Commission's regulation under REPowerEU isn't a good one and "will harm not only Slovakia and Hungary but also the EU's competitiveness". He added that affordable gas in sufficient quantities is one of the key pillars of Slovakia's economy. "We're also protecting people's wallets. That's why we want to use every opportunity to reverse such harmful initiatives, even before the Court of Justice," stressed Blanar. jrg/df