Slovakia, which faces natural gas shortages amid the Russian-Ukrainian row, wants Germany and France to give up some of its Russian gas flowing to western Europe via Belarus, DPA quoted the Slovak premier as saying today. "We expect a display of European solidarity," Prime Minister Robert Fico told reporters after meeting his Czech counterpart Mirek Topolanek in Prague. Fico said that Slovakia planned to ask German and French gas firms, E.ON Ruhrgas and Gaz de France, for a share of their gas flowing from Russia via the Jamal pipeline crossing Belarus. "Slovakia can't wait. We can't rely on someone making some deal in two, three weeks," he said. Economy Minister Lubomir Jahnatek said earlier that Slovakia would ask for 20 million cubic metres of gas a day, or nearly a quarter of 89 million cubic metres transported daily via the Jamal route. The Slovak premier said that he informed German Chancellor Angela Merkel about the plan and would soon speak to French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
