Petr Fiala and Mateusz Morawiecki discussed how to ensure energy independence from Russian fossil fuels. The leaders agreed to support a coordinated EU response to Russia’s actions. For example, the Czech-Polish Stork II gas pipeline project, black coal supplies from Poland and the countries’ interconnection through LNG terminals in Poland were also discussed. The Prime Ministers also agreed to establish a Czech-Polish inter-ministerial working group, together with representatives of the oil industry, focused on reducing dependence on Russian oil.

“Today’s meeting had a number of specific topics. Energy security is an important issue for the Czech Republic. We are a country that is heavily dependent on Russian energy resources in certain aspects. Co-operation with Poland can help us significantly in this respect. We agreed to reopen negotiations on the Stork II pipeline. The Czech Republic is also interested in sharing the capacity of future LNG terminals that the Republic of Poland is planning to build. We are ready to purchase part of the capacity, which would be advantageous for the Czech Republic,” said Petr Fiala.

Another key topic was the situation in Ukraine and its impact on EU Member States. Poland and the Czech Republic will present a joint proposal to provide funding for aid to refugees from Ukraine at talks in Brussels. “We have agreed on a common approach for the next European Council. We want to push for Ukraine to receive candidate status. We need to make it clear to the people of Ukraine that we care about them. We have no doubt that our assistance to Ukraine must be as tangible as possible, and we are acting accordingly and putting pressure on other countries to help. I am glad that these negotiations have shown that we share the exact same opinion on most issues,” the Prime Minister said.

Bilateral relations between the Czech Republic and Poland were discussed as well. The Prime Ministers discussed, for example, the possibility of intensifying negotiations on international agreements between the countries. Petr Fiala also informed the Polish Prime Minister about the ongoing preparations for the upcoming Czech Presidency of the EU Council.

At the end of his visit to Poland, the Czech Prime Minister visited the grave of the unknown soldier, where he laid a memorial wreath, paying tribute to his memory.

Petr Fiala’s trip to Poland was a follow-up to his meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda, whom he met on 27 April in his official residence. They discussed the current situation in Ukraine and its impact on the EU Member States.