adam easton explains how the new- easton explains how the new pipelines came about.ne of the oldest buyers of - one of the oldest buyers of russian gas dating back to the late 1940s. but over the years russia's near monopoly supply status allowed it to overcharge poland for its gas. in fact it used to charge: more than a charge germany because poland couldn't get it from anywhere else. and then in 2014, russia's annexation of crimea, those factors changed minds in also and they decided we have got to approve projects which would allow us to buy gas elsewhere. that has now happened to buy gas elsewhere. that has now happened today with the opening, the first gas flow of this pipeline from norway, which is significant because that can almost, just by itself, replace all the supplies from russia that were cut off in april. it will also be able to supply lithuania and slovakia because poland has gas pipeline into with those countries. it is a new route into europe, central and eastern europe for norwegian gas. as you mention, there is another new route of non—russian gas

i spoke to adam easton, the bbc�*s warsaw correspondent, who began by explaining how the new pipelinesand is one of the oldest buyers of russian gas dating back to the late 1940s. ——:. overthe years, russia's near monopoly supply status allowed it to overcharge poland for its gas. it used to charge poland more than a charge germany because poland could not get it from anywhere else. in 2014, russia's annexation of crimea, those two factors basically changed minds in warsaw and they decided they have got to approve projects which would allow us to buy gas elsewhere. that has now happened today with the opening, the first gas flow of this pipeline from norway, which is significant. just by itself, the supply is cut off from russia in april, it will be able to supply lithuania and slovakia, because poland has gas pipeline interconnection with those countries. it is a new route into central and eastern europe for norwegian gas. as you mentioned, there was a new route of non—russian gas, this time it is from azerbaijan, which will come through this pipeline between greece and bulgaria, whic