Warsaw, Aug 27 (IANS): Poland and Slovakia celebrated the launch of a new pipeline connecting them, which enables Warsaw to import 5.7 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas and grants Bratislava access to 4.7 bcm each year.

The 164-km new pipeline is part of the North-South Gas Corridor that links the gas terminal in Poland's Swinoujscie Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal and the Baltic Pipe, to natural gas infrastructures in south-eastern Poland and farther central-eastern and south-eastern Europe, reports Xinhua news agency.

"The Poland-Slovakia gas connection is an important element of the North-South Gas Corridor and is one of the key energy investments in the region," Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said during the launch ceremony on Friday.

On his part, Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger said his country nears one step closer to secure gas supplies and energy diversification by accessing LNG from Norway.

The new interconnection is managed by Gaz-System and EUSTREAM companies, which received 33 million euros ($33 dollars) from the European Union's budget through the Connecting Europe Facility programme.

Testing of this new pipeline ended at the end of May on the Polish side of the border.