Poland wants to become European hub for US gas - President Duda

A month after the first US tanker carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) arrived in Poland, Polish President Andrzej Duda has unveiled an ambitious plan to make the country a pan-European energy hub able to distribute gas across the EU.

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Poland receives first shipment of American liquefied natural gas

“Can we become a hub through which American LNG gas will flow to central Europe? I am convinced the answer is ‘yes’,” Duda told journalists after a meeting with US President Donald Trump.

The Polish president stressed the issue is under the framework of Three Seas Initiative - an alliance of a dozen eastern and central European nations that border the Adriatic, Baltic and Black seas.

Last month, Poland received the first shipment of LNG from the US. As a group, the countries aim to diversify energy supplies, reducing their dependence on oil and gas provided by Russia.

Earlier, the Polish foreign minister said more liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies to Poland depended on the US.

“One tanker has arrived, and we have shown ourselves that this is possible. Now everything depends on the American side, whether they will offer a contract which would be commercially beneficial for Poland,” said Witold Waszczykowski as quoted by Reuters.

Duda also expressed hope for further long-term contracts with Washington.

“This opens up a path to more contracts. I hope that in the near future there will be a long-term contract entered into for LNG gas deliveries from the US, and through this, we will diversify sources of supply of this hugely important raw material to Poland,” he said.

The US president, in turn, promised not to use energy to coerce the European countries, saying he was not going to allow other countries to compel them either.

Trump stressed that he was proud the region was benefiting from US energy supplies.