Vilnius is still hotly debating the news that the Poles allegedly in negotiations with the Russians in selling the largest oil refinery in the Baltic states, formerly known as Mazeikiu Nafta,.  The Poles deny that they are in talks with the Russians; the Lithuanians are tending to believe to their strategic allies.  However, once again it appears that coordination amongst the heads of the state on strategic issues is very poor.

The Orlen Lietuva delegation headed by its CEO Krystian Pater visited Lithuania’s Parliament Speaker Irena Deugtiene on 12 February to assure the Lithuanians that there are no any negotiations with the Russians.  Mr Peter said to the reporters after the meeting, “There are no talks on the sale of Orlen Lietuva to Russia’s companies under way”.  Mr Pater declined to comment on Russia’s Prime Minister’s Vladimir Putin’s statement about their talks with the Poles on selling Orlen Lietuva.  He said to the reporters, “We comment only facts, and the fact is that there are no talks.”

After the meeting the Speaker of Parliament said that it is in Lithuania’s interest to keep Orlen Lietuva in the hands of the Poles.  She has also expressed her conviction that the State Defence Council will have to discuss issue of Orlen Lietuva, in relation to Klaipedos Nafta.  The Poles are pressurising the Lithuanians to sell the Klaipedos Nafta terminal to them.  However, since it is an object of national strategic importance Vilnius is refusing to succumb to the Polish demands.

Degutiene’s public recommendation to discuss the Orlen Lietuva and Klaipedos Nafta issue during the State Defence Council meeting once again showed that the heads of state do not coordinate their actions.   Lithuania’s President Dalia Grybauskaite is not convinced that there is a need to raise this issue.  The President’s Spokesperson Linas Balsys said to BNS, which was quoted by alfa.lt, “The president’s firm opinion is that she is categorically against sale of strategic companies, therefore, she sees no need in addressing the Klaipeda Nafta issue at the State Defence Council. The president’s priority lies in not selling Lithuania off but keeping Lithuania.”

The other example of different opinions on the issue is the message coming from the ruling Conservative party.  The honouree Party’s Chairperson, Member of the European Parliament Prof Vytautas Landsbergis called the Lithuanian Ministers to raise the issue of possible sale of Orlen Lietuva to Russia to the European Commission.  The MEP is convinced that this is not only the Lithuania’s national security problem but that of the European Union’s also.  Prof Landsbergis said to Vilniaus diena paper on 12 February,  “We have to decide whether we agree with that (possible sale of Orlen Lietuva to the Russians) or raise the question on the EU-level. Such a company in such a place has a strategic value for the EU, not just for Lithuania”.  He also made an assumption that PKN Orlen itself might initiate the rumours of the sale.

However, the Conservative Party Chairperson, and Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius expressed his trust to Lithuania’s strategic partners the Poles.  He stated to the reporters on 12 February, “We cannot comment on what these negotiations (between the Poles and the Russians) mean and what kind of negotiations are they. We hear the other side denying this. I do believe that our partners in the Polish government would inform us if such negotiations are happening”.