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Good morning,

It is my pleasure to welcome you at this conference on EU energy policy developments and financing of infrastructure after 2013. This is already a third public event organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with our partners and with the support of the European Social Fund. I am very glad, that today we have representatives from the European Commission, European Investment Bank and other European partners. I would also like to welcome representatives from Lithuanian business community, NGOs and other state institutions.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The EU needs a truly common energy policy which guarantees secure access to energy at reasonable and stable prices and which maintains our competitiveness. The EU also must present a single interface in its relations with its external partners, both the producer and transit countries.

The first energy Action Plan adopted on 2007 marked the new solid step in the EU energy policy. It gave political impetus and accelerated the creation of the real European energy policy. Here I would like also to refer to the Lithuanian-Polish cooperation, especially initiating important provisions in the Lisbon treaty.

I would like also to underline the importance of interlinked goals highlighted by the European Council on 4th of February 2011:

• Completion of the internal energy market [by 2014] and integration of isolated regions [by 2015];
• The need of public finances for key interconnections of European interest;
• Consistency and coherency of the EU external action in the field of energy.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Right goals have to be supported by appropriate instruments. Today we will have opportunity to discuss financial aspects of building key infrastructure. Later this month the Commission will come up with a proposal for Multiannual Financial Perspective. While sustaining Cohesion policy remains of key importance for Lithuania in the new programming period, we expect that new EU Energy Security and Infrastructure Instrument will extend EU financing for cross-border infrastructure.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The most important current task and challenge for us is to integrate the Baltic States to the EU energy market and to diversify energy supplies. We see two main pillars on the way to do that: competition and strategic projects.

Right solutions for liberalisation and EU integration are at reach by implementing the so called EU “third package”. In this regard we took a resolute decision to end the dominant position of monopolistic gas supplier through the implementation of the EU legislation. We are very glad to work with the Commission on that.

In order to integrate the EU energy market we also need to realize strategic energy projects. These are the following: regional Visaginas NPP, power interconnections with Sweden and Poland, LNG terminal.

While talking about energy I must add one more issue. The catastrophic events in Japan recall the vital importance of the highest standards of nuclear safety being assured both in the current and planned nuclear projects not only within the EU but also in our neighborhood.

The EU should send clear and united signals to ensure that nuclear projects in the EU neighborhood would meet absolutely the same parameters to those in the EU. These parameters should include safety and security as well as obligations to follow the internal market rules.

Finally I want to refer to the need of having strong EU external energy policy. Solidarity is needed in securing energy interests of the whole EU. In this context we look forward for relevant Commissions Communication and the polish presidency towards coherent coordination to facilitate our relations with third countries.

Dear Colleagues,

We have to create a fifth freedom of the EU internal market, the free movement of safe and diversified energy, just as President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek is proposing to.

I wish you all fruitful discussions. Thank you for your attention.