BRUSSELS, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) approved a new round of sanctions against Russia on Friday, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said.

"The EU just approved one of its strongest sanctions packages against Russia to date," Kallas wrote on the social media platform X.

The package contains a provision to lower the price cap on Russian oil sold to third countries by 15 percent below the market rate. Initially set at 60 U.S. dollars per barrel by the G7 in 2022, the cap under this new EU scheme will launch at 47.6 dollars, with the flexibility to adjust in line with future oil price movements.

As part of the package, measures are also included to ensure that the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea cannot be reactivated.

Also, Kallas said the EU will impose sanctions on a Russian-owned oil refinery in India and blacklist more than 100 additional vessels from Russia's so-called "shadow fleet," believed to be circumventing EU sanctions by carrying mainly Russian oil.

Slovakia, which relies heavily on Russian gas, had been holding up the proposed EU sanctions package. However, it said Thursday evening that it will green-light the new EU sanctions after securing guarantees from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that protect Slovakia's energy interests.