Sakova Welcomes Czech Proposal to Lead Delegation to Check Druzhba Pipeline

Brussels/Bratislava, 16 March (TASR-correspondent) - Slovakia, in view of the crisis in the Middle East, has proposed at the European Union level to seek pragmatic rather than ideological solutions to ensure oil and gas supplies to Europe, and welcomed a Czech initiative to lead a European delegation to inspect the damaged Druzhba oil pipeline in Ukraine, Economy Minister Denisa Sakova (Voice-SD) said after a session of the EU Energy Council on Monday. TASR learnt the news from its special correspondent in Brussels. Energy ministers of EU member states, together with European Commissioner for Energy Dan Jorgensen, discussed how to address the crisis triggered by developments in the Middle East. Sakova pointed out that because tankers are not sailing through the Strait of Hormuz, the world has lost 20 percent of LNG supplies and 20 percent of oil. The EU must address this situation because the losses could become even higher, with less gas and oil available globally, while tankers can simply turn around and head to markets offering higher prices for transported commodities. "We must have some crisis scenario if this crisis intensifies," Sakova said, referring to Jorgensen's remark that European taxpayers have paid three billion euros more for higher oil and gas prices over the past 10 days. "That means solutions must be adopted for the future if the crisis deepens, so that Europe is not even more affected by soaring energy prices," she added. According to Sakova, Slovakia is advocating the abandonment of "ideological solutions" in favour of "pragmatic solutions", assessing which oil and gas routes are available to Europe and approaching the situation "soberly, practically and reasonably" in order to ensure the security of energy supplies to the continent. At the start of the talks in Brussels, Czech Industry and Trade Minister Karel Havlicek proposed that the Czech Republic could lead an EU mission to Ukraine to assess the situation regarding the damaged pipeline. Sakova said she discussed the idea in Brussels with Havlicek as well as with Hungary's relevant minister and admitted the proposal appealed to her. "Together we said we would welcome such an initiative. An independent mediator who can assemble a team of technicians and engineers to assess the extent of the damage at the pumping station in Ukraine. We certainly welcome this activity," Sakova said. She added that she also briefly met Ukraine's energy minister in Brussels, who assured her that Ukraine was working to remove the damage and that Slovakia will be kept apprised of the progress. "I do not know what the Ukrainian side will say about whether they will allow such an inspection at a site currently undergoing repairs. We were told that oil storage tanks exploded and that oil intended for Ukraine worth about nine million US dollars burned. That was all the information we received from the Ukrainian side," she explained. Sakova added that over the weekend some EU ambassadors in Kiev learnt that Ukraine was working to remove the consequences of the explosion at the pumping station. "And that in the near future it will provide a summary of its costs, roughly amounting to 25 million euros, and will ask the European Commission for financial assistance to repair the Druzhba oil pipeline,” Sakova said. mf