Slovakia will open relations with Russia in areas not affected by sanctions. Reuters. Slovakia will continue to protect its national interests and develop cooperation with Russia in areas not affected by sanctions, Slovak Foreign Minister George Blenner said after negotiations in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Blenner arrived in Moscow as part of Slovakia's desire to discuss the supply of Russian energy and renew the cooperation process, which was stopped after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. Energy was one of the main topics of the renewed intergovernmental commission, which held talks on Monday, the Slovak Foreign Ministry said. Russia said it was still ready to fulfill the agreed contracts. "It is difficult to replace the Russian Federation in terms of stability of energy supply, not only for Slovakia, but also for global energy trade, and this is especially clear now against the background of the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz," Blenner said. "Slovakia is a member of the European Union and NATO and we respect the rules that bind us, but within this framework we are looking for opportunities for cooperation for Slovakia's national interests," he added.