--- title: "Slovakia Resumes Intergovernmental Contacts with Russia: Media Reveals the Goal" description: "Slovakia and Russia are resuming intergovernmental commission meetings for the first time in five years to discuss energy supplies, transit, sports, and cultural issues." date: 2026-10-15T13:17:52.316Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/slovakia-resumes-intergovernmental-contacts-with-russia tags: [slovakia, russia, robert-fico, juraj-blanar, geopolitics, energy] author: "Andrey Kosynko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Slovakia Resumes Intergovernmental Contacts with Russia: Media Reveals the Goal ![Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico at a meeting](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/15/slovakiya-vozobnovlyaet-mezhpravitelstvennye-kontakty-s-rossiej/slovakiya-vozobnovlyaet-mezhpravitelstvennye-kontakty-s-rossiej-1.webp) ## Key Points - For the first time since 2021, Slovakia and Russia are resuming intergovernmental commission meetings. - The meeting in Moscow is scheduled for late autumn, although discrepancies in dates exist between the parties' versions. - The main topics of negotiations will be gas and oil supplies, transit via Druzhba, as well as sports and culture issues. For the first time in five years, Slovakia and Russia have agreed to hold meetings of the intergovernmental commission responsible for economic, scientific, and technical cooperation. This bilateral format had been frozen since the launch of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The last meeting of this commission took place in Bratislava on November 12, 2021, after which all official contacts at this level were completely put on hold amid severe international sanctions and the geopolitical crisis. ### Chronology of Preparation and Diplomatic Documents Journalists obtained a Russian government note prepared by Russian Science Minister Valery Falkov. According to the document, Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár during a closed videoconference held on August 20 officially agreed to hold a meeting of the Russian-Slovak intergovernmental commission in Moscow. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico publicly confirmed this information, specifying that the long-awaited meeting is scheduled for November 25. ### Contradictory Data Despite the general agreement to hold the summit in Moscow, official documents and statements from both sides revealed notable discrepancies in the dates and details of the planned event. While Prime Minister Robert Fico claims the meeting is set for November 25 of this year, an official Russian note dated September 10 originally indicated October 26–27 as the initial and priority dates for the session. The Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs refrains from directly commenting on these discrepancies, redirecting inquiries to earlier public statements by Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár regarding his commitment to pragmatic dialogue. ### Agenda: Energy, Oil, and Gas The main topics of the upcoming negotiations will focus on energy supplies, which are of serious concern to Bratislava. According to materials from the Russian side, during the August negotiations, Juraj Blanár expressed Slovakia's disagreement with the European Union's gradual phase-out of Russian gas imports and proposed discussing the matter in detail in Moscow. In addition, the Slovak side insists on maintaining stable oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline and highly appreciates regular nuclear fuel supplies for its nuclear power plants. ### Humanitarian Issues, Sports, and Consequences In addition to large-scale energy and economic topics, the intergovernmental commission's agenda will cover tourism, agriculture, ecology, and culture, including a potential discussion on the status of the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Bratislava. Special attention is planned to be paid to the situation of Russian athletes on the global stage: the Russian note described the situation as discriminatory, and Blanár supported the idea of bringing sports restrictions up for discussion. This step demonstrates Prime Minister Robert Fico's government course towards a so-called "policy in all four directions," which invariably attracts the attention of European partners and the expert community. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Словакия возобновляет межправительственные контакты с Россией: СМИ раскрыли цель](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/slovachchina-vidnovlyue-mizhuryadovi-kontakti-1792051615.html) - Основной источник информации о возобновлении заседаний межправительственной комиссии и деталях ноты. - [Потепление в отношениях: Словакия проведет переговоры с Россией по вопросам нефти и газа](https://24tv.ua/geopolitics/ru/slovakija-vozobnovljaet-peregovory-s-rossiej-o-gaze-nefti-i-sportsmenah_n3161229) - Дополнительный источник, подтверждающий повестку переговоров по нефти, газу и спортсменам. ## FAQ ### When was the last meeting of the Russian-Slovak intergovernmental commission held? The last meeting of the commission took place on November 12, 2021, in Bratislava, after which meetings were suspended due to the war in Ukraine. ### What are the main topics on the agenda for the upcoming meeting in Moscow? The parties plan to discuss Russian gas and oil supplies, maintaining transit through the Druzhba pipeline, nuclear fuel supplies, as well as environmental, cultural, tourism, and restrictions concerning Russian athletes.