Polish President: Moscow uses its energy policy to blackmail Europe

Luni, 15 septembrie 2008, 7:40 English | Regional Europe

Polish President Lech Kaczynski accuses Moscow of using its energy policy to blackmail European states that need Russian oil and natural gas imports. The Polish leader declared that Russia's military intervention in Georgia was actually meant to cease Europe's efforts to reduce its dependency on Russian resources, Reuters informs, quoted by Romanian news agency NewsIn. 

Kaczyinski added that even if Europe attempts to diversify its energy sources, this does not necessarily mean that they will stop importing from Russia, but urged Moscow to change the way it understands to do business with its partners. A key element in Europe's attempt to diversify its natural reserves sources is the Nabucco pipeline project which is supported by the US.

The pipeline would transport natural gas to Europe through Georgia and Turkey from Azerbaijan. Some analysts declared that the new Georgian conflict could mess the plan but not change it. Georgia is already an important key route in the Baku - Tbilisi - Ceyhan pipeline that transports some 850,000 of oil/day.