BiznesAlert.pl talks to Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, Croatia’s President.
BiznesAlert.pl: How do you assess your meeting with President Donald Trump in Warsaw?
During our bilateral talk, President Trump was very interested in the LNG project on the Krk Island. This is very important also in a wider context of energy security of Central and South-East Europe. This is a key project for Croatia and its implementation has picked up the pace. We are close to making specific decisions on the construction of a floating LNG terminal on the Krk and the building of the necessary gas pipelines. We are planning to buy a suitable vessel. However, the LNG terminal is just one piece of the puzzle. The other one is gas infrastructure. In order to deliver gas to the countries of our region it is necessary to build a suitable transmission system. We need interconnectors that will link Croatian gas pipelines with our western, eastern and northern neighbors. We need a connection with the terminal in Świnoujście and a North-South Gas Corridor.
Will this include Ukraine?
Of course, Ukraine is very important for the 3Seas Initiative. It is also undeniably important for ensuring energy security in the region. Our future transmission network has to encompass Ukraine.
The Polish LNG terminal in Świnoujście received an LNG delivery from the USA. Are similar deliveries part of the plan for the Krk terminal?
During the today’s meeting President Trump reiterated he would lend his support to make sure our terminal was completed on time. He also stressed that the United States had huge gas deposits and were able to offer diversification of gas supply to any state. In this sense, the Krk LNG terminal is also in America’s interest. President Trump also ensured me that the US would support the 3Seas states in every possible way to facilitate their energy security. He also pointed to the fact that the US will never use energy do dominate over other states politically. The US wants to be our reliable trade partner.
Interview by Teresa Wójcik