Prime Minister Fiala talks energy security and Ukraine with Chancellor Scholz in Berlin

On Tuesday, 24 January, Prime Minister Petr Fiala met with Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin. The leaders discussed further assistance to Ukraine, strengthening energy cooperation and bilateral relations. The Czech Prime Minister also met Friedrich Merz, President of the Christian Democratic Union, at the German Bundestag and attended the Welt Economic Summit conference, where he gave a speech on investment opportunities in the Czech Republic.

One of the main topics of the meeting was ensuring energy security and getting rid of dependence on Russian fossil fuels. In Germany, a second floating LNG terminal in Lubmin was commissioned a few days ago and more are planned. This location is advantageous for the Czech Republic because it is directly connected to the Czech gas infrastructure through OPAL and EUGAL pipelines.

‘‘The Czech Republic is ready to participate in the operation of the terminal, we are interested in obtaining partial capacity. I agreed with the Chancellor today that gas could flow from here to the Czech Republic for the next heating season. We are working intensively on options to involve the commercial sector and I think we are on the right track to get rid of our dependence on Russian gas in this way as well,“ stated the Prime Minister.

An important topic of the meeting comprised also the possibilities of individual countries to assist Ukraine with the supply of military equipment.

‘‘I thanked Mr. Chancellor for gifting Leopard tanks for the Czech Republic. One has already arrived in the Czech Republic, and by the end of this year our army should receive the remaining tanks, which Germany promised us in exchange for our military equipment that we supply to Ukraine. We are also interested in acquiring new Leopard tanks in the future, which would be part of the project of significant modernisation of the Czech army,“ added the Czech Prime Minister.

The Federal Republic of Germany is the most important trading partner of the Czech Republic, accounting for more than 26% of our foreign trade turnover. In the case of exports, this share is even higher - 32.8% of Czech exports go to Germany. In the first ten months of last year, the Czech Republic's trade turnover with Germany reached EUR 99 billion, which is 18.3% more than in the previous year. Germany is the third largest investor in the Czech Republic.