Slovakia to remain gas transit route even with Nord Stream 2 -PM Fico

BRATISLAVA, Aug 26 (Reuters) - Slovakia will remain a gas transit route even if Russia's Gazprom and its European partners build the Nord Stream 2 pipeline bypassing Ukraine, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said late on Thursday.

Russia currently ships natural gas via Ukraine and Slovakia into western Europe but seeks largely to bypass the route from 2019, which would deprive both countries of millions of dollars in transit fees.

"We can't look at Nord Stream 2 unbiased because Slovakia would lose about 800 million euros ($903.52 million) if the Russian gas flow to western Europe stopped," Fico told reporters after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

"If the project is indeed built, and it looks more realistic than not, we have to prepare. The only thing of interest to me is whether the pipeline dries up or not," Fico said.

Slovakia's gas transit firm Eustream, where the state owns 51 percent, posted 418.3 million euro profit after tax last year.

Gazprom and its European partners, including E.ON , Wintershall, Shell (LSE: RDSB.L - news) , OMV (EUREX: 430021.EX - news) and Engie (LSE: 0LD0.L - news) , agreed on the Nord Stream 2 project last year. It is designed to double the amount of gas Russia pumps to Germany, via the Baltic Sea.

Central and east European countries and the United States have said the pipeline could limit supply routes and reduce the energy security of the EU, which gets a third of its gas from Russia.

The EU has yet to rule on whether the pipeline would run up against its antitrust rules.

Poland's antimonopoly office blocked the consortium's clearance last month, forcing Gazprom's Western partners to seek alternative ways to fund it. (Reporting By Tatiana Jancarikova)