Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said that he would not support a new package of sanctions against Russia unless the European Commission proposes realistic measures to reconcile climate goals with the needs of the automotive and heavy industries, the Slovak news agency TASR reported, quoted by BTA.
Fico stressed after his meeting with European Council President Antonio Costa that some of the EU's ambitious climate goals could be revised, as long as there was a desire for it.
"I asked how the EU intends to reconcile its strict climate goals with economic reality. In Slovakia's case, this means that the country produces over one million cars a year and plans to continue, but is faced with extremely high energy prices," he said.
Fico stressed that the EU's readiness to find solutions on these issues would be crucial for Slovakia's position on future sanctions against Russia.
"As prime minister, I will not support a new sanctions package until the EC presents concrete and realistic proposals on how to reconcile climate requirements with the needs of the automotive industry," he said.
Fico also tied his support to the issue of electricity prices. "Secondly, I will not support new sanctions against Russia if we do not receive realistic proposals from the EC to solve the problem of high electricity prices in Europe", he added, emphasizing that European institutions have a key role in this area.
Regarding the EU's long-term financial framework, Fico insisted that Slovakia's national interests must be protected. Among the main priorities, he indicated the preservation of cohesion policy funding and a rethinking of the guidelines in the Common Agricultural Policy, which, in his opinion, do not meet the needs of Slovak agriculture.
Fico concluded by calling for a more active role for the EU in peace efforts related to the war in Ukraine. "I expressed the hope that the same energy and attention that the EU is putting into military assistance to Ukraine will also be directed towards the peace process," he said, adding that he was convinced that the EU could play a much more significant role in finding a peaceful solution than it has so far.