Andrej Plenkovic claims: cooperation with the USA key to the resistant energy architecture of Europe

Considering Europe’s desire to become independent of Russian energy, cooperation with the United States is crucial to the construction of resistant energy architecture in Europe, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Thursday in Washington. « The American-European partnership regarding the liquefied natural gas (LNG) is a proof of our common efforts to create resistant supply chains that can withstand future geopolitical shocks, » Plenkovic said at a conference organized by LNG Allies on « Trade and Security: American-European LNG Partnership. »

He cited the LNG-Terminal on Krk as an example, « which became crucial in the broader context of European energy security. »

« A 65 percent of the LNG that came to our terminal actually arrived from the United States of America, which gives you an idea of ​​how important the energy partnership between Croatia and you involved in LNG. »

He emphasized that, in addition to investing, Croatia has been awarded 559 million euros to the construction of wider pipes that will be able to transport hydrogen in the future.

« The ambition of Croatia is additionally emphasizing the strength of its role as an energy hub, because on the island, next to the LNG, we also have a raw oil terminal and the Adriatic pipeline … and we can also deliver enough raw oil to the refineries in Hungary and Slovakia, » Plenkovic said.

He added that Croatia could therefore be a « country of transport ».

« And this is strategically important when we look at how to reduce the dependence of energy sources from Russia for Central and Eastern Europe, which, unlike Croatia, have no way to go to sea, » he added.

He stressed that the figures are such that « EU imports more than 90 percent of its oil, more than 80 percent of its gas and 45 percent of coal ».

« Therefore, we are far from saying that we are autonomous as far as energy sources are concerned, and the extension of cooperation with countries that can supply us with energy, especially gas, of enormous importance. »

On Thursday, Plenkovic met in Washington to the US trade representative Jamieson Greer.

The Prime Minister wrote on the social platform X that he talked to Gerer « about the further intensification of the economic exchange of Croatia and the US, which currently amounts to about EUR 1.6 billion, as well as the announcement of the possible introduction of US customs. »

« In this respect, it is important to continue the dialogue between the EU and the US to achieve a compromise and mutual acceptable solution that will protect the competitiveness of the economy on both sides of the Atlantic, » Plenkovic added.