MINI-SUMMIT IN WROCLAW

A so-called gas mini-summit was held in Polish town Wroclaw on 28th January, 2009 with the participation of the President of Poland Lech Kaczynski, the President of Ukraine Viktor Yuschenko and Mirek Topolyanek, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic which currently presides at the European Union.

A so-called gas mini-summit was held in Polish town Wroclaw on 28^th January, 2009 with the participation of the President of Poland Lech Kaczynski, the President of Ukraine Viktor Yuschenko and Mirek Topolyanek, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic which currently presides at the European Union.

Speaking at the press conference that was broadcasted live on Polish television Lech Kaczynski noted that gas crisis in Poland wasn’t over yet. According to the Polish leader, January gas conflict requires, first of all, certain clarification as far as the public in west-european countries believes that it is Ukraine that is responsible for what has happened. “Yet, the connection between Georgian and Ukrainian crises is obvious”. The second one, noted Kaczynski, hadn’t been, thanks God, a military one, however the situation was precarious. Having pronounced the word “Russia” not even once, the President of Poland stressed that the policy (read: Russian) “of returning influence or rather dominance” which became apparent during the gas crisis, hadn’t ended with “excessive success” thanks to the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic that currently presides at the European Union. The speaker emphasized: “It is in our behoof that the policy of returning influence should not end successfully”. According to Mr Kaczynski, the President of Ukraine for the umpteenth time confirms pro-Western policy of his country. “There can be no doubt that in some time Ukraine will go over to world gas prices. But these prices should be set which hasn’t been done yet”.

Agreeing with his colleague, Viktor Yuschenko noted that it would have been a big mistake if the public perceived Russian-Ukrainian gas conflict as “only a commercial and economic problem”. What is at issue is geopolitics. “Gas is politics and big gas is big politics”. Addressing the European community Mr Yuschenko said that a politician who can turn off gas pipe on the way to Europe via Ukraine is lifeless and will never be. The Head of Ukraine thanked Czech Prime Minister for his tremendous efforts made in order to settle that gas conflict. Further he said that Ukraine had signed a gas agreement with Russia which in his opinion is quite sophisticated and unclear. But his country would perform the contract despite the fact that the latter could not be the evidence of the transition to market relations as regards gas price since Ukraine had taken an obligation to pay a supermarket price in the first quarter of the year – $450 for 1 cubic meter. None of the European countries pays such an incredible price. Meanwhile Ukraine charges several times as little for the transit of Russian gas as compared with other European states.

According to the Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolyanek, gas crisis hasn’t ended yet, in particular, in respect to Poland. Talking about Poland and the Czech Republic that have been developing as independent states in the last twenty years, Mr Topolyanek stressed that unfortunately today their freedom and independence depend on oil and gas supply. The speaker noted that within the framework of Czech presidency he will take “two steps”. First, “talking to European colleagues he will be convincing them of the necessity to intensify further cooperation with Ukraine, including euroatlantic direction”.

“The second step will be the test of European integration, an attempt to solve the problem of joint energy policy, especially in gas and oil sphere,” stressed the Czech Prime Minister.

Analyzing the course of Wroclaw mini-summit, Polish analysts regret that it lacked the Russian partner. Despite the measures taken, at present it is quite difficult to find an alternative to Russian gas. For instance, Poland makes up for underdelivery of natural gas (the shortage is 16%) with different other sources, and gas ones are rather difficult to find. However, today Poland has no reason for concern.