LITHUANIA'S FOREIGN MINISTER MET WITH EU ENERGY COMMISSIONER
On 23 February in Brussels, Lithuania‘s Ministers of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Ušackas and Member of the European Commission, responsible for energy issues, Andris Piebalgs discussed the most important European and Lithuanian energy issues. The main attention was dedicated to the additional funding that the European Economy Recovery Plan envisaged for the projects of energy and broadband infrastructure.
Minister V.Ušackas noted the importance of political agreement on this issue and expressed trust that the EU Member States would come to the agreement before the European Council meeting in March.
The Minister also stressed that it was important to come to an agreement with Latvia concerning the Baltic-Swedish energy link. The Commission was encouraged to cooperate in finding a proper solution. Minister V.Ušackas said that Lithuania was ready to start implementing this project immediately.
On the subject of European Energy Strategy, Minister V.Ušackas noted that it was important to speed up the creation of an integrated EU energy market, to diversify the sources of energy supplies to Europe and to strengthen the EU‘s external energy policy based on solidarity.
While discussing the EU and Russia dialogue on energy, Commissioner A.Piebalgs and Minister V.Ušackas touched upon the issue of renewing oil supply through the „Druzhba“ pipeline.
Commissioner A.Piebalgs informed Minister V.Ušackas, that on 20 March he would on a visit to Moscow, where the EU and Russia cooperation on energy issues would be negotiated.
