News

On 9 January in Riga, during the meetings with President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers, Prime Minister Ivars Godmanis and Minister of Foreign Affairs Maris Riekstins, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Ušackas dedicated most attention to energy security and economic relations between Lithuania and Latvia.

“Having together re-established their independence 20 years ago, today Latvia and Lithuania are facing another challenge - energy security. The Baltic States have to strengthen their energy independence by creating a common Baltic energy market and by implementing the projects of energy interconnections,” Minister V.Ušackas indicated during the meetings.

The Minister noted that now the European Union’s attention to energy problems had notably increased, new possibilities had opened up and it was the high time to join forces of the Baltic States in order to solve energy issues.

“We have to reach agreement on joint Baltic energy interconnection projects as soon as possible. Lithuania is ready to start works regarding the Swedlink power bridge already,” said V.Ušackas, who also indicated that the Swedlink was just a means to achieve a bigger goal of creating common energy market of the Baltic States.

During the meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs M.Riekstins, perspectives of ratification of the sea border agreement by the Latvian Parliament were also discussed. The Ministers discussed a possibility to organise an informal meeting of experts in order to speed up ratification of the agreement. During the meeting, experts would discuss the international practice of exploration and exploitation of mines of hydrocarbons on the sea border of the states.

Continuation of the NATO air police mission in the Baltic States was among the issues of defence and security that were discussed by Ministers of Foreign Affairs.

During the meetings, V.Ušackas also presented priorities of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States as of 1 July this year. He emphasized significance of a more active involvement of Russia’s Kaliningrad Region and Belarus in the Baltic Sea region. According to the Minister, innovations, development of scientific research and people-to-people contacts are particularly important for the competitiveness of the Baltic Sea region and for achievement of prosperity in it.

Today the Minister will also meet with the Lithuanian businessmen, working in Latvia, to discuss further perspectives of bilateral economic cooperation between Lithuania and Latvia.

Latvia has been the main economic partner of Lithuania for many years already. Since 2002, bilateral trade with Latvia has increased by 3.7 times. During the first three quarters of 2008, the Lithuanian export to Latvia has amounted to 4.83 billion Litas. There are more than 1300 of Lithuanian companies in Latvia. Latvia takes the 1st place on the list of Lithuanian direct investment abroad.