(Reuters) – Slovak state gas importer SPP has paid a bill for Russian natural gas in euros and has also opened a rouble account with Gazprombank, its CEO Richard Prokypcak said on Friday.
The European Union’s executive told member states this week they can keep buying Russian gas without breaching sanctions imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
“We have paid in euros our commitment toward Gazprom,” Prokypcak said in an interview on Slovak public television RTVS, which said that the payment was made on May 17.
“It is in euros also because the bill itself was issued in euros by Gazprom. Following that, the money was sent to a Gazprom account and I have confirmation that the payment has been received,” Prokypcak said.
“Monetary conversion is underway that will be concluded by handing roubles to Gazprom, and following that, natural gas supplies continue,” he added.
While the European Commission advised companies against opening a bank account in roubles at Gazprombank, as requested by the Kremlin, it has not explicitly said doing so would breach sanctions in its formal written guidance.
Payments for Russian gas have become an issue since Moscow demanded that foreign buyers start paying in roubles, and Russia cut supplies to Poland and Bulgaria for refusing to do so.
“The foreign exchange conversion is outside any control of SPP, for us really the important moment of fulfilling our commitment is the euro payment,” Prokypcak said.
It was not immediately clear what was role SPP’s rouble account played in the transaction. An SPP spokesman was not immediately available to clarify.
(Reporting by Jan Lopatka and Robert Muller in Prague; Editing by Jason Neely and Alexander Smith)
