OREANDA-NEWS  Oil stopped flowing through the southern branch of the Druzhba pipeline to the Czech Republic on Wednesday, the head of the country's Ministry of Industry and Trade Lukas Vlcek confirmed this information to journalists.

"We are aware of this situation (that the Czech Republic has stopped receiving oil through the Druzhba pipeline - ed.), and we are in contact with all parties interested in this matter," the minister said.

58% of the oil is supplied to the Czech Republic via the southern branch of the Druzhba pipeline.

According to Vlcek, the Czech Republic currently has sufficient oil reserves. "Oil refineries are well prepared for this situation, and at the same time we have a reliable system of state material reserves," the minister said. And just in case, he is ready to offer the government an option using oil reserves from state reserves.

In turn, the representative of the state-owned enterprise operator of the Czech part of the Druzhba oil pipeline, Mero, Barbora Putsova, told reporters that a message on the situation with oil supplies would be published in the near future.