Slovakia and Hungary Call for Inclusion of Their Experts in Druzhba Inspection

Bratislava, 19 March (TASR) - Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) and his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto have sent a letter to European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen, expressing Slovakia's and Hungary's concern over media reports about EC experts being sent to the site of the alleged damage to the Druzhba oil pipeline in Ukraine without including Slovak and Hungarian experts or notifying either country, TASR learned from the Foreign Ministry's communications department on Wednesday (18 March). They called on the EU to immediately exert pressure on Ukraine to resolve the situation concerning the Druzhba pipeline. On Tuesday (17 March), Ukrainian media reported that on the next day, a group of EU experts would visit the pipeline section allegedly damaged by Russian strikes on 27 January. However, on Wednesday, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stated it had no information about the EU mission which, according to the media, would not include Slovak or Hungarian representatives. In their letter to President von der Leyen, Blanar and Szijjarto stated they consider the expert visit to be insufficient, stressing that Slovakia and Hungary insist on the inclusion of their own experts in the mission. "Despite our requests for Slovak and Hungarian experts to be granted access to inspect the site, the Ukrainian side has still not allowed us access to the pipeline, which we consider absolutely unacceptable," stated Blanar, noting that it has been fifty days since the alleged disruption of the pipeline. According to him, the absence of Slovak and Hungarian experts "raises questions about the credibility or impartiality of any conclusions". In the letter, both ministers expressed "disappointment over the reluctance and inability of EU institutions to consistently promote the interests of EU member states towards Ukraine in resuming oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline, at a time when the energy security of Central European countries already faces unprecedented challenges due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East". European Council President Antonio Costa and von der Leyen have previously stated that Ukraine had accepted the EU's offer of technical assistance and funding to resume oil supplies via Druzhba. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that repairs are nearing completion and the damaged pumping station will be restored within one and a half months. jrg