Possilbe oil cooperation endangers Poland's energy security

According to the conservative daily Rzeczpospolita, the Russian oil companies Lukoil and Transneft are interested in a financial cooperation with the Polish oil company PKN Orlen. But this would increase Poland's energy dependency, the paper comments: "Let's not fool ourselves. The Russians treat our region differently than they do sunny Italy. And that has nothing to do with the fact that Vladimir Putin gets along better with Silvio Berlusconi than with [Polish Prime Minister] Donald Tusk. Central and Eastern Europe is a neuralgic region for the Russians. And their business strategy here is practically diametrically opposed to that for Western Europe. We must not lose sight of this fact. ... The deal with the Russians would give PKN Orlen short-term liquidity. But it woud wreak havoc on the detailed plan developed over many years for a rapprochement between Poland and Lithuania. And it would jeopardise the country's energy security as well."

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