PRAGUE (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th May, 2022) The Czech Republic supports EU embargo on Russian oil, but needs two or three-year transition period to secure oil supplies from other sources, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on Wednesday.
"We support the toughest sanctions against Russia, but they should not harm Czech citizens more than Russia. The Czech Republic needs a certain transition period in order to increase the capacity of that (alternative) oil pipeline through which the Czech Republic could receive oil," Fiala said at a press conference, adding that this would take two to three years.
Earlier in the day, Czech Industry and Trade Minister Jozef Sikela told reporters that Transalpine pipeline from Italian city of Trieste is the most promising source of alternatives for the country. The expansion of the pipeline could take from two to three years, Sikela added.
On Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen announced the sixth package of anti-Russian sanctions, targeting Russia's Sberbank, as well as three big Russian state-owned broadcasters, and high-ranking military and individuals involved in the operation in Ukraine. The package also includes a gradual oil embargo. Some European countries that heavily depend on the Russian oil, such as Hungary and Slovakia, have already obtained an exemption from the embargo.
