Fuel interconnector to quickly hyperlink Poland and Slovakia, says Polish President

A gasoline interconnector will quickly hyperlink Poland and Slovakia, Polish President Andrzej Duda introduced on Wednesday, permitting the neighbouring nations to assist each other and the broader area in making certain vitality provides after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Poland will be capable of ship gasoline to Slovakia and Slovakia will be capable of ship gasoline to Poland if needed,” stated Duda, talking in Bratislava alongside Slovakian counterpart Zuzana Čaputová. “The Polish-Slovak neighbourly friendship pays off in lots of areas, resembling safety.”

Development of the interconnector started in 2018, supported by European Union funding of €33 million. The road is scheduled to open this yr, and can be capable of transmit as much as 4.7 billion cubic metres (bcm) per yr of gasoline to Slovakia or 5.7 bcm per yr to Poland.

A brand new gasoline interconnector between Poland and Lithuania was already launched initially of this month, connecting the Baltic and Finnish with the Polish markets.

Its capability to move gasoline from Lithuania to Poland is predicted to succeed in 1.9 bcm per yr within the subsequent 5 months and the availability capability from Poland to Lithuania will probably be 2 bcm per yr, the European Fee introduced.

“At this time’s interconnection is one other step in serving to this area to be totally built-in into the inner EU vitality market, diversifying away from Russian gasoline,” stated EU Power Commissioner Kadri Simson attending the hyperlink’s inauguration ceremony, as quoted in an announcement.

Throughout Duda’s go to, the leaders additionally mentioned the difficulty of Ukraine’s ambitions to affix the EU. Čaputová proposed that Slovakia and Poland ought to foyer amongst nations that stay sceptical.

“I prompt to President Duda that we go to collectively some leaders of Western nations who’ve a extra restrained angle in terms of candidate standing within the EU for Ukraine,” stated Čaputová, quoted by the Polish Press Company (PAP).

Though she didn’t title any particular nations, these might embrace France, whose president, Emmanuel Macron, just lately stated that Ukraine’s accession might take “a long time”, in addition to Germany, which advised Kyiv there will probably be “no shortcut” to EU membership.

“I accepted the proposal of President Čaputová to undertake a mission to foyer for Ukraine amongst EU nations, particularly the place there are doubts that Ukraine ought to get this standing rapidly,” stated Duda.

“What is required in the present day is a transparent sign from the West that Ukraine is a part of it, that Ukrainians are accepted, that they’re a part of the group and that the West understands their aspirations,” he added.

Simply two days after Russia’s invasion in February, Duda referred to as for Ukraine to be given an “categorical path” to EU membership.

Poland has been probably the most vocal nations within the European Union lobbying for “de-Russification” of European vitality. The nation has additionally labored for years to lower its personal dependency on provides from Moscow.

Final week the European Fee proposed a few of its hardest measures but in opposition to Russia, together with a complete ban on oil imports. However Hungary and Slovakia, closely depending on Russian provides, raised objections.

The EU has already pledged to scale back Russian gasoline imports by two thirds by the tip of 2022, whereas Poland and Bulgaria noticed Gazprom reduce off their gasoline provides two weeks in the past after they refused to pay in roubles.

Predominant picture credit score: Przemysław Keler/KPRP