Zelenskyy: Carpathians can become energy supplier to EU and help ensure independence from Russia

At the first Carpathian Economic Forum, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that the countries in the Carpathian region have significant potential for cooperation in the energy sector and that the Carpathians could become a supplier of electricity to the EU, helping ensure energy independence from Russia.

Source: Office of the President of Ukraine

Quote: "Solar and wind energy. Energy storage. And new interconnectors. And our large underground gas storage facilities. And there is also a proposed Carpathian wind cluster with 1.5 gigawatts of capacity. The Carpathians can become an energy contributor to the European Union – and not only a transit region."

Details: Zelenskyy stressed that implementing such projects will help achieve energy independence from Russia.

Overall, the forum brought together around 1,400 participants from 25 countries, with nearly 400 companies from all countries of the Carpathian Eight represented at the event.

According to the Office of the President, the forum's investment portfolio consists of 95 projects worth more than €42.5 billion in energy, industry, innovative technologies, logistics and other sectors. Of these, 55 projects worth €8 billion are in the Ukrainian Carpathians.

Zelenskyy said that around half of the investment portfolio is made up of energy projects, and this sector should become one of the Carpathian region's main contributions to Europe.

He noted that, given Russia's aggressive policy, it was important to attract more investment, create new opportunities across the region and strengthen it:

"More security. Stronger energy links. Better roads and railways and, of course, ports. Security always depends on our ability to work together – when our systems are connected and our countries cooperate, our protection is stronger too," Zelenskyy emphasised.

Background:

• On 18 September, Zelenskyy announced the creation of a new cooperation format, the Carpathian Eight, bringing together Ukraine and seven European countries in the Carpathian region – Romania, Serbia, Poland, Slovakia, Czechia, Austria and Hungary – as well as the EU.
• The forum is taking place in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast from 18 to 20 September.
• Among other things, Zelenskyy announced that agreements worth €1 billion would be signed during the economic part of the summit.
• Following the first meeting, Ukraine and representatives of the other countries adopted a declaration of intent to ensure cooperation between the countries of the region, the EU and interested partners, including through the organisation of annual summits.
• They also plan to coordinate efforts to strengthen cross-border cooperation, economic ties, security and sustainable development in the Carpathian region, including by increasing the energy resilience of the countries through the development of electricity, heating and gas infrastructure.

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