VILNIUS - France is the latest to join a lengthening list of countries wanting to be involved in a new Lithuanian nuclear plant.
French European affairs minister Jean-Pierre Jouyet said France wanted to build the new plant after his return from meetings with the Lithuanian prime minister and president.
"We have a vast amount of experience in this field and we are ready to work with Lithuanian institutions. Our companies will work with the aim of being part of this project," Jouyet said in Paris, adding "All these projects would ensure the energy independence of Lithuania."
Work on building the new Ignalina plant is expected to commence in 2009, ready for a 2015 switch-on date. The price tag is likely to be around 6 billion euros according to current estimates, but the exact cost remains a matter of widespread conjecture.
Jouyet is likely to champion the involvement of French nuclear company Areya, which has already expressed interest in the Ignalia project and joins American company Westinghouse and Japanese firm Toshiba as possible construction partners for the project backers. Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed the opinion that Russian companies could construct the plant, but his suggestion is unlikely to go any further.
At the present moment, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland are all putative partners on the project with Ukraine recently expressing an interest in some form of participation as well. However, both Poland and Estonia have been publicly debating whether or not they should commit to the project and Lithuania's decision to unilaterally award itself a larger share than the other three partners caused some disquiet.
While in Lithuania, Jouyet and France had praise heaped upon them to such an extent that it may signal the start of a new French engagement with the Baltic. Latvia has probably been closest to France in recent years thanks to the close personal relationship that developed between Francophone Vaira Vike-Freiberga and Jacques Chirac, but with both presidents now put out to pasture it seems that Lithuania is wooing French economic and cultural interests.
During his meeting with Jouyet, President Valdas Adamkus said: "Our nations feel mutual sympathy, and Lithuanians are particularly interested in the French language and culture."
For his part, Jean-Pierre Jouyet noted that France and its new President Nicolas Sarkozy wanted more intensive cooperation with the Central and Eastern European countries, and especially with Lithuania.
The French diplomat thanked Adamkus for his significant input in negotiations on the EU reform treaty. "I believe that an excellent start of joint work will grow into a close partnership in solving EU issues and working together for the sake of the EU unity, solidarity and intensive and friendly relations with neighbors," he said.
The Lithuanian President said: "Our joint work for the sake of Europe was clearly visible in the last European Council Summit. I believe that France's presidency of the EU in the second half of 2008 will contribute to the creation of an economically strong and active Europe and effective European neighborhood policy. Today, Europe needs unity and solidarity especially in its energy policy. Also, it needs to speak in one voice with Russia."
