Brussels, 16/11/2011 (Agence Europe) - In order to ensure the energy security of the Baltic region, the European Commission will have to take a decision on the best place to site a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in the region, after Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania failed to come to any agreement.
Meeting in Riga last week, the heads of government of the three Baltic States were unable to reach agreement on building a regional LNG terminal in one of their countries. Having failed to gain the support of his counterparts for his plan to build the infrastructure to the south of the Latvian port of Klaipeda, near which the huge Incukalns underground storage facility would, he said, be able to store enough gas for the three Baltic countries, Latvian Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis suggested holding back on a decision on this issue and first agreeing on the construction of a gas pipeline between Poland, from Germany, to Lithuania, which is already connected to Latvia. This would allow Latvia to receive supplies of gas from an LNG terminal close to the Polish-German border.
While his opposite numbers, Andrius Kubilius of Lithuania and Andrus Ansip of Estonia, may be willing to consider the proposal, they have not given up hope of building the regional LNG terminal in their own country. Both Lithuania and Estonia feel that it is up to the Commission to decide on the best place for the construction of the regional terminal. The Commission has said it will give consideration to the matter, which has been under discussion by the three Baltic countries since 2008. (EH/transl.rt)