VILNIUS, Jun 23, BNS – With Lithuania holding talks with Latvia and Estonia on boycotting electricity from Belarusian nuclear power plant in Astravyets, which is due to be launched in August, President Gitanas Nauseda has called on the country’s foreign and energy ministers to find a common position so as to make sure that Lithuania acts “as a single fist”.

“A week ago, the president talked to Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, and assured her involvement in this process and openness in looking for an acceptable solution. However, it is also important to have an internal consensus, to act as a single fist in representing Lithuania’s interests,” Jaroslav Neverovic, a former energy minister who now advises the president, said after Nauseda’s meeting with foreign and energy ministers.

Nauseda had discussed strategic energy projects as well as talks with the European Commission and regional partners at the meeting with Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas and Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius on Tuesday, he said.

“We have reached a vital point where we need decisions on the implementation of the last strategic energy project, i.e. synchronization. It is very important to be consistent and focused in our work, to manage all risks and to ensure cooperation, both with partners and internally” Neverovic said.

With Lithuania’s opposition parties and Linkevicius criticizing a draft agreement, in which Latvia and Estonia stop short of committing not to buy electricity from the Astravyets nuclear facility, Vaiciunas said that Vilnius would seek to convince the other two Baltic countries to agree to a common commitment against purchasing electricity from Belarus.

“The aim of this political agreement is … to have the maximum possible commitment of the Baltic countries to prevent access to the Baltic countries’ market as well as to Poland for electricity from Belarus. We have come a sufficiently long way in negotiating this agreement and we now have to go that last mile in order to make sure that the outcome is also in line with Lithuania’s interests as much as possible,” Energy Minister said after the meeting.

Asked about the differing stance of Linkevicius, Vaiciunas said that the ministers agreed on the strategy but possibly had differences of opinion on the tactics.

“We have to forge a certain common commitment of the Baltic countries against purchasing that electricity. And we agree on that. However, there might have been certain tactical nuances, which we used to discuss previously and discuss them now. We have a common aim and I think we will be able to count our chickens in fall when the negotiations will be finalized,” Vaiciunas said.

Meanwhile, Neverovic emphasized the importance of not jeopardizing the synchronization of the Baltic electricity grids with those of continental Europe.

He also pointed out that Lithuania’s stance that “this facility [Astravyets] should not be launched” remained unchanged and the country would stand firm in its view on the necessity to implement stress tests recommendations before the launch of the nuclear power plant.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 19, Vilnius newsroom