Europe Moves Forward With Cooperation Plans
European countries are debating higher degrees of cooperation, with energy projects increasingly under the spotlight.
On Friday, Ukraine’s PM said it expects an additional gas pipeline between Ukraine and Poland by the end of 2016.
‘The construction of an additional gas interconnection pipeline between Ukraine and Poland will provide around 80 million cubic meters of gas per day that will allow buying all the gas volume required in the EU, the Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk stressed at a meeting of the anti-crisis energy center on Friday, October 31,’ reads a communiqué released in the afternoon.
According to Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk, the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development would finance the project.
"I set the term that we will commission this gas pipeline in 2016. This is realistic,” Yatsenyuk commented.
Also on Friday, Czech Republic’s PM Bohuslav Sobotka met with Serbia’s counterpart Aleksandar Vucic to discuss bilateral relations and economic cooperation, with an eye on infrastructure projects.
‘Czech businessmen will also arrive in Belgrade for this event to discuss economic cooperation with their Serbian colleagues and the organisation of a Serbian-Czech business forum,’ reads a note released by Belgrade.
According to Vucic, the trade between Serbia and the Czech Republic increased by 32% in 2013 and by 10.8% in 2014.
A few hours before, on Thursday, the UK Government welcomed the €647 million investment in key energy infrastructures to increase security of supply across Europe.
“This is excellent news for the UK and Europe. The Commission’s decision to fast-track funding is a real boost to getting these projects built. The €40 million awarded to interconnector projects linking the UK to Norway and France will help strengthen energy security and deliver lower energy bills,” Energy Secretary Edward Davey said in a note, greeting the €75 million announced for UK projects, including gas storage projects.