Slovak minister's controversial meeting with Lavrov stirs debate
Representatives from several countries exited the conference room when the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, began his speech. However, the Slovak Foreign Minister, Juraj Blanar, did not join them. Not only did he remain in the room, but he also found it fitting to hold a meeting with Lavrov. The Russian Foreign Ministry was the first to announce this previously arranged meeting.
The invitation of the Russian Foreign Minister to the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting in Malta provoked considerable controversy. Several diplomats, including delegations from Ukraine, Poland Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and the Czech Republic, left the room during Lavrov's address.
Most diplomats, including the U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, however, stayed in the room throughout the Russian diplomat's speech. Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar also remained.
It emerges that the Slovak minister not only attended Lavrov's speech but also met with him. This meeting was reportedly organised to discuss Russian oil and gas supplies to Slovakia.
The Russian Foreign Ministry was the first to report on this meeting. Later, a statement was also issued by the Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Talks on oil, gas, and peace
"While we work on diversification, securing supplies at favourable prices and in the required quantities is important to us," stated Minister Blanar, quoted on the Slovak Foreign Ministry's profile on platform X. According to his comments, the Russian side assured that it is able to meet its commitments in this regard.
During the meeting with Lavrov, Blanar reportedly called for an end to military operations, emphasising the need to pursue diplomatic solutions in accordance with the United Nations Charter. He also mentioned that "Slovakia supports international peace initiatives, including those proposed by China and Brazil."
At the same time Blanar was meeting with Lavrov, the head of the Slovak Ministry of Economy, Denisa Saková, was conducting parallel discussions on gas supplies from Russia, meeting with Gazprom representatives in St. Petersburg. Saková's visit, which occurred on Wednesday afternoon, was not publicly disclosed in advance by the Slovak Ministry of Economy.
At the NATO foreign ministers' meeting, which preceded the OSCE meeting in Malta, Blanar advocated for dialogue with Russia, a position previously proposed by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. The head of the cabinet has declared that he will attend the Moscow celebrations marking the end of World War II. In January, a delegation from the Slovak parliament is scheduled to visit Moscow.
Alongside Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, the Slovak foreign minister is one of the most frequent EU representatives to meet with Lavrov.
