Slovakia Sees No Quick Gas Supply Resumption

Fico met Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow and Ukraine Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko in Kiev.

Slovakia does not expect Russian gas supplies via Ukraine to resume soon due to a "deep political row" between Ukraine and Russia, Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Wednesday.

"The course of the talks allows us to state that we cannot expect early resumption of gas supplies to Slovakia," Fico told a news conference after returning from Moscow.

Fico met Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow and Ukraine Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko in Kiev and urged them to end a row that has cut off Russian gas deliveries through Ukraine to Europe.

However, he said an early restart of gas flows was unlikely.

"I cannot imagine what would have to happen within 24 hours, or 48 hours, for the gas transit to resume," Fico said. "It is practically impossible. The conditions laid by one and the other side are so contrasting, that this simply cannot work."

Slovakia, which gets almost all its gas from Russia, has been one of the countries most affected in central Europe after the flow of Russian gas stopped completely a week ago.

Bratislava declared a state of emergency on Jan. 6, under which gas deliveries to large clients were reduced. This forced about 1,000 companies to shut down or cut production, including factories of western car makers and steel producers.

The gas company SPP continues full deliveries to households, schools and hospitals from its reserves.

Fico said both Tymoshenko and Putin had presented arguments and documentation for their cases, but added the two mainly "presented accusations against each other."

"The talks in Kiev and Moscow showed that the dispute between Ukraine and Russian Federation is very deep, is political in principle, and it seem not even the European Union is able to immediately resolve it," he said.

Slovakia would take part at the proposed summit of Russian gas customers in Moscow, Fico said, if Ukraine was also present and if the EU was involved in the talks.

Slovakia said on Wednesday it had secured extra deliveries of gas from western companies, with which it can cover consumption until the end of January.