Kirkilas and Blair discuss Russia, energy

  • 2007-06-13
  • By Arturas Racas
VILNIUS - Lithuanian Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas and his British counterpart Tony Blair met in London on June 12 in what was the Lithuanian leader's first visit to Downing Street. The situation in Russia and energy issues were the key topics of discussion.

"The prime ministers discussed a wide range of international issues and expressed concern about the situation in Russia," Nemira Pumprickaite, spokesperson for the Lithuanian prime minister, told The Baltic Times after the meeting.
"The Lithuanian premier stressed the problem of oil supply from Russia and said that this reduces confidence in the country," Pumprickaite added.
She also said that both Blair and Kirkilas agreed that the European Union must have a common position on the issue of energy safety.

Russia cut oil supplies to the Lithuanian Mazeikiu Nafta refinery in July 2006 when it became clear that the refinery, then owned by ailing Russian company Yukos, would be sold to the Polish PKN Orlen concern. Russian officials say that the supply was terminated because of technical problems in the Druzhba pipeline, but Lithuanian politicians see it as Russia's revenge for not selling the refinery to a Russian company.
The Lithuanian government's press bureau reported that Blair and Kirkilas also discussed international military missions. "The British prime minister highly evaluated Lithuania's contribution to international security and the fight against terrorism," a statement said.

Lithuania, which currently leads NATO's provincial reconstruction team in Afghanistan's Ghor province, plans to send an additional 40 troops to Afghanistan in response to Britain's call for boosting the fight against Taliban forces in the south of the country.