Report about error

The new ruling coalition can delay or even stop altogether the most important Lithuanian energy projects, said Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius on Thursday, lrytas.lt reports.

“The doubts announced in public mean exactly that, in fact with such viewpoints, with that coalition, which is now proclaimed to be formed, Lithuania’s key energy projects for a variety of reasons, may be delayed or even stopped altogether” – said Mr. Kubilius on the phone on “News Radio” from Bucharest, where he is attending the twenty-first congress of the European People’s Party.

Commenting on the election front-running Labor Party leader Viktor Uspaskich’s statement that the planned liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal will burden consumers in Lithuania, Mr. Kubilius emphasized that this is unfounded.

“Those are totally mistaken assessments and, I can tell you, that I hear more and therefore am afraid that some essential energy projects, with that coalition, with such attitudes, can actually be stopped.  But all the figures show very clearly that for Lithuania’s case, and neighboring Poland, the construction of the terminal, that world market prices of liquefied gas are significantly lower than Gazprom’s gas prices, and therefore the economic justification, not once discussed in the Government and in Parliament, is absolutely clear,” explained the Prime Minister, whose Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democratic Party has secured 13 seats in the first round of parliamentary elections.

Mr. Kubilius did not reject the possibility to recalculate the Visaginas nuclear power plant (NPP) project costs.

“We definitely would like to see the Government’s strong commitment to the future of energy independence and special attention for the entire energy reorganization. I hope, as the President has so far been very demanding on these issues, her insistence and support of the implementation of these projects will not deviate from the chosen strategic path due to those parties that currently do not exhibit a deep understanding of what we really would like to do,” said the head of the government.

In a current referendum, citizens expressed a negative position on nuclear power plants, and according to Mr. Kubilius, this will be an important future issue for the upcoming Cabinet of Ministers.  In the Prime Minister’s opinion, the citizens did not support the nuclear power plant, as it was politicized too – the Visaginas NPP is a current government project.

Translated by Vytas Radze