What goes on in Poland on the 28th of January.
Naimski: Nord Stream 2 can become a tool for Russian intelligence
The maritime dimension is an important element in the security of energy infrastructure – said the Government Plenipotentiary for strategic energy infrastructure dr. Piotr Naimski during the 4th State Maritime Security Forum. The media patron of the event was BiznesAlert.pl. According to the minister, the disputed Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline can be used for Russian intelligence.
– Cooperation on the part of the Navy, colleagues from the military component, is very valuable. Ships and gas carriers that flow to Świnoujście are monitored with the help of the Navy. It seems that the subsea infrastructure in the form of Nord Stream 1 Nord Stream2 – we are not naïve – it is an infrastructure that can be used for intelligence. Infrastructure owners can use it. Colleagues from Sweden have long protested against this project. This is an element that should be taken into account when considering energy security – said Naimski.
– The Baltic Sea is closed and small. The Danish straits are important for the security of Poland as well as cooperation in the field of maritime security. This should be the subject of reflection on energy security – he added.
Why should NATO look at Nord Stream 2?
The discussion at the Europe-Ukraine Forum under the patronage of BiznesAlert.pl showed that the dispute over Nord Stream 2 is also a topic for NATO. One of the panelists warned that this project might pose a threat to the Baltic Pipe in the future.
Romualdas Petkevicius representing the NATO Energy Security Center of Excellence pointed out that the North Atlantic Alliance can not take a single position on the disputed Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, because individual Allies have different opinions about it. He pointed to Germany as a country that does not want to talk about Nord Stream 2 in the NATO arena, despite the interest of many of its members in such a discussion.
– No matter if we want it or not our, exercises from December 2018 to assess the potential of NATO countries to maintain security of supply in case of a military crisis have shown that the situation is changing. So far, we have said that we will end up with bullets rather than raw materials. Now is different. We can not be sure of energy supply through the digitization of the battlefield.
Meanwhile, NATO still has no energy security policy. We can only inform and encourage discussion – he warned. – For now NATO wants to increase the energy efficiency of the army, but it is equally important that the armed forces have resources that will drive them.