In brief
The Slovak foreign ministry announced on 20 October that the intergovernmental commission will sit in Moscow on 26 October, the first session since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Energy, including nuclear power, leads the agenda, with Slovakia seeking talks on gas deliveries and continued oil supply. Under an EU plan, Slovakia should stop buying Russian gas by the end of 2027.
ABC reports 2025 Russian crude imports worth $2,352 million and gas worth about $1,652 million, with similar volumes expected now.
Prime Minister Robert Fico, in his fourth term, met Vladimir Putin in May and has suspended state military aid to Ukraine while criticising EU sanctions.
- 2022Russia invades Ukraine and bilateral commission talks are suspended
- 20 OctSlovak foreign ministry announces the commission session in Moscow
- 26 OctIntergovernmental commission scheduled to meet in Moscow
- End of 2027EU plan deadline for Slovakia to stop buying Russian gas
Commission session in Moscow
The Slovak foreign ministry announced on the evening of Tuesday, 20 October, that the intergovernmental commission for economic, scientific and technical cooperation with Russia will meet in Moscow on Monday, 26 October. The session would be the first since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which had halted these consultations. The ministry said the meeting will focus on energy, including nuclear energy, as well as agriculture, the environment, sport and culture. Politico, as cited by Focus, reports that the agenda goes further, adding tourism and the situation of Russian athletes at international competitions. Focus attributes that item to a Russian record of the meeting rather than to the Slovak side.
Energy at the centre
The ministry names energy and the securing of strategic resources as the main subject, and Slovakia wants to discuss gas deliveries and the continuation of oil supplies. Slovakia still buys oil and gas from Russia. Under an EU plan, it should stop buying Russian gas by the end of 2027, a step meant to deprive Moscow of the money that finances its war in Ukraine. ABC reports 2025 imports of Russian crude oil worth $2,352 million and gas worth about $1,652 million, figures it says are close to what Slovakia now expects to secure. The Spanish report links the move to the approach of winter and below-average gas reserves across Europe, which it expects to push heating prices higher. Focus says Prime Minister Robert Fico is wary of a hard break and warns of higher costs for his country.
- Crude oil imports (2025)
- 2352 million USD
- Gas imports (2025)
- 1652 million USD
Data from the article text
Fico's line inside the EU
Robert Fico, serving his fourth term as prime minister, has visited Moscow repeatedly, most recently in May, when he met Vladimir Putin according to Focus. He has criticised EU sanctions against Russia and blamed Ukraine for the interruption of Slovakia's oil supplies earlier this year, an interruption Kyiv attributed to Russian attacks. The ministry insists Slovakia's approach still rests on its EU and NATO membership and the obligations that come with it, while saying it wants to create room for dialogue. The reopened track comes after the defeat of Viktor Orban in April elections, which has left Fico's positions standing out inside the 27-member bloc.
Military support and neutrality
Fico has suspended Slovakia's state military aid to Ukraine, but ammunition and military equipment exports continue on a commercial basis, including from companies with state ownership. Reports also say Fico has stated he would prefer Slovakia to be neutral rather than a NATO member. Spanish reporting notes that he has warned of the risk of direct confrontation between the West and Russia. The ministry's language on alliance obligations therefore sits alongside continued commercial arms exports.
What comes next
The commission sits in Moscow on Monday, 26 October, with energy first on the agenda, followed by agriculture, the environment, sport and culture. According to press reports, the commission is to discuss the terms of a new understanding, and no outcome has been announced. The EU deadline of the end of 2027 for ending Slovak gas purchases from Russia forms the backdrop to the session.