Kiska: Nord Stream 2 Not Only Energy But also Political Project

Strbske Pleso, October 12 (TASR) - The heads of state of the Visegrad Four (V4) countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) at a two-day summit in Strbske Pleso (Presov region) discussed various issues including the migration crisis, automation and population ageing. As part of the final press conference after the summit on Friday, the V4 presidents replied to journalists' questions including the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline running from Russia to Europe across the Baltic Sea. Slovak President Andrej Kiska said that there are several reasons why the Nord Stream 2 project shouldn't have been built at all. "First of all, it should be noted that the capacity of existing pipelines is far from being fully used. According to some statistics, they are used only at 50 percent. So, the logical question is why there will be another gas pipeline from Russia when we use the existing capacity at 50 percent," said Kiska, adding that Slovakia shouldn't be dependent on one country when it comes to gas supply. Kiska also pointed out that the energy sector is not just a question of business, it's also a very powerful political tool. "By building Nord Stream 2, Russia will gain a very strong weapon and it can strip Ukraine of its gas supply at any time, and [it will thus gain] a tool to blackmail Ukraine," he said, adding that Russia isn't a reliable partner when it comes to observing joint agreements. According to Polish President Andrzej Duda, everyone understands that the problem of Nord Stream 2 isn't only economic but also political. "It's not just about business, it's a political project that can violate the EU's energy security and that is also dividing the European community. That is why it's harmful, as it can break the unity of the European Union," said Duda, adding that Nord Stream 2 will make Europe more dependent on Russian gas company Gazprom and thus on Russia itself. tz/mcs