No Intermediaries Between Russia and Poland in Gas Supplies

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Davos and said after the meeting that Russia could help Poland solve gas supply problems.

"I received assurance that Russia will help us in solving problems with gas supplies," Tusk said without revealing details.

From January 26 Poland has been receiving only 76% of planned amounts of gas from the eastern direction as RosUkrEnergo, a company in which Russian Gazprom owns a 50% stake, failed to execute its gas contract with Polish gas monopolist PGNiG.

Russia also wants to eliminate intermediaries from its oil trade with
Poland. Talks between Polish and Russian prime ministers in Davos were attended by chief executives of Russian oil firm Lukoil and Poland's top refiner PKN Orlen.

"We are interested in the elimination of the firms that make money on being intermediaries in oil supplies," said Lukoil's CEO Vagit Alekperov, as quoted by the daily.

Currently J&S Energy, the Polish unit of Cyprus-registered Mercuria Energy Group, is the main supplier of Russian crude oil to Polish refineries, however its contracts expires at the end of this year.

Poland's second-largest refiner Grupa Lotos has begun negotiations on oil supplies from Gazprom, which closely cooperates with Lukoil.

Author: Ksenia Kochneva