Countries around Baltic Sea should reduce economic cooperation with Russia, especially in energy - Karins

RIGA - Countries around the Baltic Sea should reduce economic cooperation with Russia to a maximum, especially in energy, said Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins (New Unity) at the Baltic Sea Summit in Copenhagen.

Prime minister's spokesman Sandris Sabajevs cited Karins as saying that dependance on Russia's energy resources can ceased only by mutual cooperation - developing connections, renewable energy projects, improving legislation on the national and European level so that the new projects in energy can be implemented sooner.

The prime minister said that countries should cooperate in energy independence with the same resolution as they are cooperating in providing assistance to Ukraine who is fighting for its freedom in the brutal war started by Russia.

European Commission's President Ursula von der Leyen announced during the summit that the European Commission has decided on granting the status of EU common interest project to the Latvian-Estonian offshore wind park Elwind, which will help to attract EU funding to the project. 

Leaders of the countries around the Baltic Sea during the summit signed a Marienborg declaration, voicing their resolution to strengthen cooperation in energy in order to improve Europe’s energy self-sufficiency and breaking away from Russian energy, as well as promoting climate neutrality in the EU.