Reversing the flow

The Paroubek government is working on a deal with Russia that is potentially as controversial as Miloš Zeman's arrangement with Falkon Capital. Ex-Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandr Vondra told the Czech Council on Foreign Relations that secret talks have been going on for months about reversing the flow of the Ingolstadt-Kralupy pipeline, which now carries crude oil to the CR from Germany. He warned that this would make Czechs more dependent on Russian oil, at a time when Europe is seeking to reduce its dependence. The Russians have been pushing repeatedly for the flow to be reversed, he said. MP Martin Říman of ODS told Czech Radio that PKN Orlen, which assumed part-ownership of the Czech refinery by purchasing Unipetrol, is also trying to reverse the flow. No one knows who owns two-thirds of PKN, he said, but he indicated that it is none other than the Russians themselves. [Czech Republic IKL Česká rafinérská European Union]