SNS Urges PM Fico to Block EU Loan to Ukraine

Bratislava, 5 March (TASR) - The only country of the European Union currently blocking a €90-billion loan for Ukraine is Hungary, but Hungary and Slovakia share the same problems with oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline, and so Hungary mustn't remain isolated, stated the coalition Slovak National Party (SNS) on Thursday, calling on Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) to express Slovakia's stance. "The Slovak National Party also appreciates that the government has finally, after almost four days, resolutely ordered the management of the Slovak Electricity Transmission System (SEPS) to stop balancing electricity on Ukraine's energy grid. Nevertheless, the Slovak National Party regrets that electricity supplies weren't blocked, as the prime minister had clearly declared," the party said in a statement, as reported by its spokesperson Zuzana Skopcova. According to Skopcova, SNS is also convinced that no agreement is possible without pressure on Ukraine. It therefore considers it to be a mistake that no negotiations and inspection of the Druzhba pipeline on Ukrainian territory has taken place, as was offered to the Slovak prime minister by the Ukrainians. mf/df