Türkiye and Slovakia Get US Waiver Extension for Gas Payments to Russia

Representation photo: The sun sets behind burning gas flares at the Dora (Daura) Oil Refinery Complex in Baghdad on December 22, 2024. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)
Representation photo: The sun sets behind burning gas flares at the Dora (Daura) Oil Refinery Complex in Baghdad on December 22, 2024. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)
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Türkiye and Slovakia Get US Waiver Extension for Gas Payments to Russia

Representation photo: The sun sets behind burning gas flares at the Dora (Daura) Oil Refinery Complex in Baghdad on December 22, 2024. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)
Representation photo: The sun sets behind burning gas flares at the Dora (Daura) Oil Refinery Complex in Baghdad on December 22, 2024. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)

Türkiye and Slovakia have received extensions from the United States to waivers for gas payments to Russia, sources told Reuters on Thursday, adding that the extensions would be valid until May.

In November, Washington imposed new sanctions over the Ukraine conflict on Russia's Gazprombank, one of the country's largest banks which receives payments for natural gas from Gazprom's customers in Europe.

Türkiye, along with Hungary and Slovakia, received a US waiver in December, removing a major hurdle to paying for the gas they receive from Russia via the TurkStream gas pipeline.

Türkiye's energy ministry declined to comment, while Türkiye's treasury and Slovakia's economy ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Hungary had not commented on the waiver extension at the time of writing.

Türkiye and Hungary receive Russian gas via the TurkStream pipeline under the Black Sea.

Since the end of Ukraine's transit of Russian gas to Europe at the end of last year, Slovakia has had to rely on supplies from Hungary, but its main gas importer SPP said in February that Gazprom had begun supplying it again, using volumes given up by Hungary on the TurkStream pipeline.



South Korea, China, Japan Agree to Promote Regional Trade as Trump Tariffs Loom

South Korea's Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Ahn Duk-geun (C), Japan's Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yoji Muto (R) and China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao attend at the 13th Trilateral Economic and Trade Ministers' Meeting in Seoul on March 30, 2025. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP)
South Korea's Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Ahn Duk-geun (C), Japan's Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yoji Muto (R) and China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao attend at the 13th Trilateral Economic and Trade Ministers' Meeting in Seoul on March 30, 2025. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP)
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South Korea, China, Japan Agree to Promote Regional Trade as Trump Tariffs Loom

South Korea's Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Ahn Duk-geun (C), Japan's Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yoji Muto (R) and China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao attend at the 13th Trilateral Economic and Trade Ministers' Meeting in Seoul on March 30, 2025. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP)
South Korea's Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Ahn Duk-geun (C), Japan's Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yoji Muto (R) and China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao attend at the 13th Trilateral Economic and Trade Ministers' Meeting in Seoul on March 30, 2025. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP)

South Korea, China and Japan held their first economic dialogue in five years on Sunday, seeking to facilitate regional trade as the three Asian export powers brace from US President Donald Trump's tariffs.
The countries' three trade ministers agreed to "closely cooperate for a comprehensive and high-level" talks on a South Korea-Japan-China free trade agreement deal to promote "regional and global trade", according to a statement released after the meeting.
"It is necessary to strengthen the implementation of RCEP, in which all three countries have participated, and to create a framework for expanding trade cooperation among the three countries through Korea-China-Japan FTA negotiations," said South Korean Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun, referring to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

The ministers met ahead of Trump's announcement on Wednesday of more tariffs in what he calls "liberation day", as he upends Washington's trading partnerships, Reuters reported.
Seoul, Beijing and Tokyo are major US major trading partners, although they have been at loggerheads among themselves over issues including territorial disputes and Japan's release of wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant.
They have not made substantial progress on a trilateral free-trade deal since starting talks in 2012.
RCEP, which went into force in 2022, is a trade framework among 15 Asia-Pacific countries aimed at lowering trade barriers.
Trump announced 25% import tariffs on cars and auto parts last week, a move that may hurt companies, especially Asian automakers, which are among the largest vehicle exporters to the US.
After Mexico, South Korea is the world's largest exporter of vehicles to the United States, followed by Japan, according to data from S&P.
The ministers agreed to hold their next ministerial meeting in Japan.