The Polish prime minister has described the Baltic Pipe, the new pipeline to bring gas to Poland from Norway through Denmark, as “a pipeline of freedom, sovereignty, security and peace.”
Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki speaks at the launch of the Baltic Pipe gas pipeline, in Goleniów, northwestern Poland, on Tuesday, September 27, 2022.PAP/Marcin Bielecki
Mateusz Morawiecki’s words came at the official launch of the Baltic Pipe in Goleniów, northwestern Poland, on Tuesday, state news agency PAP reported.
The Polish head of government attended the ceremony alongside Poland’s President Andrzej Duda, Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Norway’s Minister of Petroleum and Energy Terje Aasland, and the European Commission’s Director General for Energy, Ditte Juul Jørgensen.
Morawiecki told the gathering: “From now on, the Baltic Pipe is a gas pipeline of freedom, sovereignty, security and peace.”
He added that despite the complexity of the project, Poland had managed to complete it “on time and on budget, effectively and efficiently.”
The prime minister also stressed that the Baltic Pipe was a collaborative initiative and that „safety comes from cooperation.”
“We show the world that through cooperation and solidarity, it is possible to increase the security and energy sovereignty of our continent,” he stated.
Morawiecki noted that Poland, Norway and Denmark „are part of NATO, the strongest military alliance in the history of the world.”
“We are perfectly aware how important our ties are today, in the face of the war in Ukraine,” he added.
Morawiecki told those at the ceremony in Goleniów: “The Baltic Pipe is the opposite of the projects that used to serve [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s war aims. It is the opposite of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines.”
Meanwhile, Polish President Andrzej Duda said that the launch of the Baltic Pipe was “a dream come true” for Poland, news outlets reported.
The Baltic Pipe
The Baltic Pipe, which is part of Warsaw’s efforts to diversify gas supplies and end the country’s energy dependence on Russia, is due to start operating on October 1, according to officials.
It is ultimately expected to have the capacity to carry 10 billion cubic metres of natural gas from Norway to Poland via Denmark annually.
Russia’s energy giant Gazprom in April suspended gas deliveries to Poland after the country refused to pay in Russian roubles amid Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, according to reports at the time.
The Polish prime minister told reporters earlier this year that his country had sufficient reserves and alternative supply routes after Russia suspended gas supplies under a long-term contract.
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said in April that Gazprom’s decision to stop delivering gas to European customers was „yet another attempt by Russia to use gas as an instrument of blackmail.”
The Polish president in 2019 described the Baltic Pipe as “a strategic project for Poland’s energy transformation, as well as for the energy security of the entire Central and Eastern Europe region.”
Tuesday is day 216 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, polsatnews.com, baltic-pipe.eu, money.pl