Ukrainian president, Polish PM discuss defense, energy security

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has met with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who arrived in Ukraine for the first time, the Ukrainian President's Office has said.

"The interlocutors discussed the security situation around Ukraine and further cooperation with a view to strengthening the defense and financial resilience of our state," the statement said.

Zelensky thanked President Andrzej Duda, the Polish government and personally Morawiecki for the provision of defensive assistance to Ukraine in the face of current challenges.

"We appreciate this support and will always remember it," Zelensky said.

Both parties discussed the possible implementation of specific economic projects and ways to increase Polish investment in Ukraine's economy.

Significant attention was paid to the deepening of cooperation to ensure the energy security of Ukraine and the region. Both parties discussed a possible increase in natural gas supplies to Ukraine via Poland through Polish LNG terminals and agreed to work out the possibilities of completing the relevant infrastructure.

Zelensky and Morawiecki said Ukraine and Poland had common approaches to security threats posed by the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project. Both parties agreed on the need to further oppose the launch of this gas pipeline, which undermines the energy security of Europe and Ukraine.

They welcomed the agreements reached by the ministers of infrastructure of Ukraine and Poland to unblock the issue of issuing additional permits for international freight transport.

During the meeting, both parties agreed to intensify the work on infrastructure development at checkpoints on the Ukrainian-Polish border, including using European and Polish loans.

Morawiecki arrived in Kyiv on February 1. This is his first visit to Ukraine as Polish prime minister, the post which he has held since December 2017. Last autumn, the prime ministers of Ukraine and Poland met during the Economic Forum in Karpacz, Poland.

Photo credit: President's Office 

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