BRATISLAVA, Slovakia, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- The Slovak republic is better prepared to handle a potential regional gas crisis resulting from tensions between Russia and Ukraine, analysts said.
Russian gas giant Gazprom briefly cut gas supplies to Ukraine in January following disputes over gas contracts and arrears. That row created a gas crisis in Europe as roughly 80 percent of its Russian gas flows through Ukraine.
Karel Hirman, an analyst from the Slovak Innovation and Energy Agency, told the national News Agency of the Slovak Republic that the country is better prepared to deal with a possible renewed crisis during the winter.
He said the national gas utility signed a series of deals with regional suppliers during the summer to stabilize energy supplies.
"These agreements guarantee that if gas supplies from Russia are halted again, (the national utility) will be able to pump gas from the western part of Europe, especially Germany, by reserve transit via the Czech Republic," he said.
Hirman added that Russian gas is among the most expensive in the world, however, and the Kremlin cannot afford another crisis.
"Russia can't afford repeated stoppages in gas supplies without this having an extraordinary impact not only on relations with the EU in the gas industry, but also on overall political and economic relations with European countries," he said.
