Slovakia said to be discussing gas link through Poland with Gazprom

The Slovak government will talk to Russian partners about gas pipeline connections going through Poland and Hungary in order to increase supply security, Russian news service Interfax reported. Slovakia is currently 100 percent dependent on the supply of Russian gas through Ukraine Interfax quoted Slovak Economy Minister Pavol Pavlis, who is in Moscow at Russia’s National Oil and Gas Forum. He was reported to have said he would discuss the construction of connections to the Yamal pipeline going through Poland and Hungary and transferring 5 billion cubic meters of gas annually. The report brings back the idea of building an extension to the Yamal pipeline that would omit Ukraine. In April 2013, several Polish officials lost their jobs in a scandal involving talks with Gazprom about such an extension going through Poland.