We have access to the sea, but the Czechs do not, - said Mateusz Morawiecki in response to a journalist’s question about why Orlen continues to import crude oil from Russia. It does not go to recipients in Poland, but to a plant in Litvinov.
Orlen still imports crude oil from Russia to the Litvinov refinery in the Czech Republic. This is not a violation of the sanctions, since they do not apply to the transportation of raw materials through land pipelines. The southern branch of the Druzhba pipeline supplies Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
Morawiecki asked about Orlen oil imports
Russian oil for Hungary and Slovakia is imported by the Moll concern, and the main recipient for the Czech Republic is the refinery in Litvinov, owned by Orlen Unipetrol from the Orlen group.
At Friday’s press conference, a journalist from TVN24 asked the Prime Minister to comment on this fact. He also recalled that Poland is still the largest importer of Russian LPG. Data from Eurostat and Forum Energii, cited by Rzeczpospolita, shows that last year we imported 710.3 million euros of liquefied gas from this direction, while the value of imports from other EU countries amounted to 417 million euros.
In response, Morawiecki accused the journalist that the radio station he works for wants Czechs and Poles not to drive cars.
PM: Czech government asked to release supplies from sanctions
- The editors of TVN want the Czechs not to be able to drive cars, and the Poles too, because they often drive LPG. Well, the Czech Republic, having no infrastructural capabilities, demanded access to oil from the European Commission, Orlen and all interested parties. We have access to the sea, but the Czechs do not,” said Mateusz Morawiecki.
He added that while Poland has the ability to transport oil from other directions by sea, the Czech Republic does not. Therefore, it is justified to import raw materials by land, through pipelines from Russia.
He briefly summarized the issue of liquefied gas: - The Prime Minister touched briefly on the issue of liquefied gas. “There are no sanctions on LPG today, and Poland strictly adheres to the sanctions imposed by the EU,” the head of government said.
Orlen statement on Russian oil
Earlier, Orlen issued a statement in which it referred to accusations of importing Russian oil. He wrote that he has only one contract for the supply of Russian oil, signed back in 2013. “Supplies are made to the Czech Republic and are necessary to ensure the country’s raw material and fuel security,” the report says.
The company added that “there are infrastructural restrictions that do not allow to fully cover the demand of the Czech Republic for oil from other directions, except Russia.” She recalled that it was the Czech government that demanded the lifting of sanctions on oil from Russia and the continuation of supplies.
Source: Wprost
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