Page 11 - EurOil Week 17 2021

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Polish, Slovenian PMs urge Germany

to drop Nord Stream 2

POLAND POLISH Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in such a way that European solidarity does not
and his Slovenian peer Janez Jansa urged Ger- suffer.”
The Polish PM many to cancel plans for the trouble-stricken Jansa came to Warsaw for in-depth consulta-
described the project as Nord Stream 2 pipeline project that would take tions before the start of the Slovenian presidency
a constant “wound” to Russian gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea, in the Council of the EU in the second half of
Europe that “must be Polish media reported on April 22. 2021.
dealt with.” The project, which is nearing completion, Meanwhile, the administration of US Presi-
has encountered fierce resistance from the dent Joe Biden is weighing additional sanctions
US, Poland, as well as other Central European to block construction Nord Stream 2, potentially
countries. including the project’s parent company Nord
Poland has repeatedly voiced its objections to Stream 2 AG, Bloomberg wrote on March 18
the pipeline that would double the size of Russia’s citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
gas exports directly to Germany, circumventing Reportedly, new sanctions against Nord
Ukraine and stripping it of transit income. Polish Stream could come in the form of an interim
officials argue that Nord Stream 2 will needlessly report that may target insurers of the vessels lay-
increase Europe’s dependence on Gazprom for ing the pipeline in the Baltic Sea as well as other
gas. companies providing support vessels and mate-
At the joint news conference in Warsaw, rials to the project.
Morawiecki said that Nord Stream 2 is a Ger- “The sanctions legislation Congress passed in
man-Russian project that destabilises Europe 2019 and expanded in 2020 has significant sup-
and undermines European security. port from a bipartisan congressional majority,”
“We call on Germany to withdraw from that the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in
project in order to stop further influence on the the statement on March 18.
factual destabilisation of that part of Europe, “The Biden administration is committed to
because it can be very threatening for the EU and complying with that legislation. The department
for many countries in the region,” Morawiecki reiterates its warning that any entity involved in
was cited by The First News. the Nord Stream 2 pipeline risks US sanctions
The Polish PM described the project as a con- and should immediately abandon work on the
stant “wound” to Europe that “must be dealt with pipeline,” he added, as cited by Bloomberg. ™

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