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PM Medvedev urges Slovakia to join Nord Stream 2, TurkStream projects

The prime minister added that such a discussion between ministers of the two countries is already underway

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Slovakia's Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini Yekaterina Shtukina/Press Office of the Government of the Russian Federation/TASS

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Slovakia's Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini

© Yekaterina Shtukina/Press Office of the Government of the Russian Federation/TASS

MOSCOW, June 5. /TASS/. Moscow and Bratislava should find mutually beneficial solutions for Slovakia’s joining pipeline projects of Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told a press conference following the talks with his Slovak counterpart Peter Pellegrini on Wednesday.

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Slovakia is interested in pragmatic and constructive relations with Russia

"We need to find mutually beneficial ways for cooperation regarding Slovakia’s joining the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, same as TurkStream," PM said, adding that such a discussion between ministers of the two countries is already underway. "We invite our friends and partners from Slovakia once again to participate in it," Medvedev noted.

He emphasized that "each country should watch over its economic interests," and Moscow understands Bratislava’s concerns "regarding what is going to happen with transit revenues" in Slovakia if the Russian gas transit to Europe through Ukraine is suspended.

Pellegrini noted that the implementation of the Nord Stream 2 project would influence Slovakia’s gas transport infrastructure. "Considering that circumstance, the Slovak Republic has such a position," he said. "We are looking for ways to use the existing Slovak infrastructure and use it for gas transit in case of the operation of Nord Stream 2 as well. The Slovak Republic is also looking for ways to make sure that our transit infrastructure is used for gas transit in the future … via TurkStream," he stressed.

According to the Slovak PM, if the country "manages to find ways for cooperation in both cases that would mitigate the economic consequences (from potential suspension of transit through Ukraine)." "Of course, it would be bad if those supplies bypass us (Slovakia), for us it is of economic importance, and we should be addressing that issue seriously," he concluded.

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