At the Munich Security Conference yesterday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the allocation of USD 1 billion in support of energy infrastructure development as part of the Three Seas Initiative.
The joint Polish-Croatian initiative aims to boost infrastructure, energy, and economic cooperation among 12 countries located between the Black, Baltic, and Adriatic Seas, including Poland, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Hungary.
In his speech, Pompeo claimed that the US is seeking “to revive private investment in the energy sectors of these countries.” The effort is widely considered to be part of a US drive to increase Europe’s energy independence from Russia.
Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Jacek Czaputowicz called the move „a very important declaration showing that the United States is taking the Three Seas initiative seriously”.
Source: PAP, Radio Poland, The First News
Duda officially launches re-election bid
Polish President Andrzej Duda officially launched his re-election campaign in Warsaw yesterday at the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party convention. The party’s unanimous decision to back Duda for a second term was announced by the leader of PiS, Jarosław Kaczyński.
Speaking to the roughly 2,000 PiS party members in attendance, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki praised Duda for making “Poles’ lives significantly more dignified.” Duda, who has been president since 2015, is currently Poland’s most trusted politician according to a recent survey by the nonprofit Centre for Public Opinion Research (CBOS) in Warsaw.
Other contenders in the presidential race include centrist Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska of Platform Obywatelska (PO); politician Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz of the rural-based Polish People’s Party (PSL); former Słupsk mayor Robert Biedroń of Wiosna; far-right hopeful Krzysztof Bosak of Konfederacja; and celebrity journalist Szymon Hołownia.
Elections are scheduled for May 10th, with a potential second round scheduled for May 24th.
Source: Radio Poland
Polish ski jumper Piotr Żyła wins big in Austria
Polish ski jumper Piotr Żyła surprised fans by winning the ski jumping competition in Bad Mitterndorf, Austria yesterday ahead of Slovenian Timmy Zajc and top-ranked Austrian Stefan Kraft.
The win marks only the second time in his career that Żyła has won a World Cup event, with his last victory occurring in Oslo in March 2013. Two other Polish ski jumpers also made the top ten yesterday, with recent winner Dawid Kubacki coming in fifth followed by three-time-Olympic champion Kamil Stoch in seventh. Żyła is now ranked tenth overall in World Cup rankings, with Kubacki in third and Stoch in sixth.
The competition in Austria continues through today, with only 8 scheduled competitions remaining in the 2020 season. For a list of all upcoming events, visit: https://www.fis-ski.com/DB/ski-jumping/calendar-results.html
Source: Radio Poland, PAP
Gdańsk residents urged to “have a heart” by recycling plastic bottle caps
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the Marshal’s Office of the Pomeranian Voivodeship in Gdańsk has set up a large heart-shaped container for residents to show some love to the environment and children with disabilities by recycling their plastic bottle caps.
The 1.5 meter-high container, which can hold up to 150 kg of plastic, is located at the entrance to the Marshal’s Office on Okopowa Street in Gdańsk Śródmieście. All plastic collected will later be sold to recycling companies, with the profits being used to buy equipment for the rehabilitation of disabled children.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Weather
Today will be overcast and very windy, with gusts up to 25 km or 15 miles per hour and a chance for rain late in the afternoon. Temperatures will peak around 10ºC, or (50ºF) with winds increasing throughout the afternoon and a strong wind advisory in effect overnight. Monday is expected to be mostly cloudy and windy throughout the day, with the chance for a glimpse of sun in the afternoon before clouds and rain return again on Tuesday.
Elizabeth Peck
