Croatia, Slovakia discuss energy security and co-operation

June 15, 2009

ON HIS one-day official visit to Zagreb on Friday, Prime Minister Robert Fico and his Croatian counterpart Ivo Sanader agreed that relations between the two countries reflected a 'deep friendship'. "If I said that Slovakia and Croatia have no unresolved issues, this would be an understatement," Sanader said after talks between the two premiers.

Sanader also thanked Fico for Slovakia's firm support for his country's attempts to join NATO and the European Union. However, he informed Fico that neighbouring Slovenia has been blocking 11 chapters of the EU accession treaty with Croatia since December 2008 due to a long-term border dispute. Fico supported Croatia's stance that the issue should be resolved by international arbitration, adding that this bilateral dispute between the two countries should not affect the accession process.

Co-operation between Slovakia and Croatia in the sphere of energy offers interesting opportunities for diversifying gas supplies to Slovakia's territory, Fico said.

"Slovakia suffered a great deal during the gas crisis that emerged in January 2009," Fico said, adding that he and Sanader discussed bilateral co-operation in the energy sector that would be beneficial for both countries. "We spoke about the possibility of a north-south, or south-north link," he said.

"Slovakia is particularly interested in a project to build a terminal for liquid gas," Fico said. "If there were a north-south link, the existence of this terminal would give Slovakia another possible alternative for supplying our territory with natural gas," he said, adding that a north-south link would provide significant guarantees of energy security for Croatia as well.

Fico also enquired about the construction of underground gas reservoirs. "The Slovak government will certainly look for opportunities to involve Slovak private investors in this project," he said.

"I also told the premier [Sanader] about our experience with reservoirs after they were privatised," Fico said, adding that he welcomed Sanader's opinion that there is still interest in reviving the Adria-Druzba pipeline project. "In this case it mainly involves the transfer of crude oil," he said.

Fico thanked Sanader for the help his country provided to all those involved in the tragic coach crash in Croatia last August when 16 people were killed. Fico also thanked Sanader for the high level of attention that the Croatian government devotes to the Slovak minority in Croatia.

Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajcak accompanied Fico on his official visit and apart from talks and a working lunch with Sanader, they were also received by Croatian President Stipe Mesic.