SaS: EU Sanctions Ban Transit of Russian Oil by Sea (2)

Bratislava, 18 February (TASR) - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has failed in his demand that Croatia should transport Russian oil for MOL refineries via the Adria pipeline, as EU sanctions prohibit imports of Russian oil by sea, so the route isn't an option for Slovakia, either, warned opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) MP Karol Galek on Wednesday. Galek said this in response to the situation following the suspension of oil supplies to Slovakia via the damaged Druzhba pipeline. "Croatian Economy Minister Ante Susnjar publicly offered us a solution. He said it clearly: we're ready to lend a helping hand to Hungary and Slovakia, but he stressed that everything must take place in line with the rules of the European Commission," said Galek. "The solution isn't to look for legal loopholes, but to accept the Croatian offer and immediately contract tankers with oil from other sources," the MP underlined. Zagreb's offer involves transporting non-Russian oil via the Adria pipeline, which has a capacity of 14.3 million tonnes. The Bratislava-based Slovnaft refinery needs at least half of this volume to secure basic production, while the Hungarian MOL refinery is also connected to Adria. However, according to SaS, the government, along with Hungary, is trying to push Russian oil through the Adriatic Sea, a plan that faces resistance and circumvents EU rules. At its session on Wednesday, the government approved the release of up to 250,000 tonnes of state oil reserves for the Bratislava refinery. After the session, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) said that supplying Slovnaft via Adria is possible, but the full capacity of the pipeline hasn't yet been tested, and transport per tonne and per 100 kilometres is five times more expensive than via the Druzhba pipeline. The alternative oil that the refinery would purchase on global markets is also more expensive, as Russian oil is currently sold at a significant discount when compared to Brent crude. NOTE: This story has been extended to include the final two paragraphs mf/df