Power talks fail to gain energy

VILNIUS - Lithuania still fails to agree with Latvia on the building of a power bridge with Sweden, Latvian TV channel  LTV reported.

Latvia's President Valdis Zatlers' view is the same as Latvia's energy experts. Their opinion is that the power link with Swedenshould only be built after setting up a joint Baltic electricity operator and analyzing whether laying the link from Latvia could be cheaper.

"This could be any location in Latviaand any in Sweden. It is not important since we all are concerned about the energy security of the region. The Baltic electricity market is common, it's just that we have to modify the principles of the project so that it could be implemented by all countries, perhaps first via the setting up of a joint venture - the regional electricity market operator, which would take care of energy supply to Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland," Zatlers said recently after the meeting with Lithuania's President Valdas Adamkus in Klaipeda.

Lithuania, which completed a study on the likelihood of a power link with Sweden last year, received evidence that the project would be attractive commercially, and urges their neighbors to join the project as soon as possible. However, Rigaaims to conduct an analysis into a power link between Latvia and Sweden, which may last until spring.

"We cannot lose a single day, a single hour in the implementation of this plan. Otherwise we will come to harm and it would cost us a lot," Lithuania's President Adamkus said.

The leaders of both countries agreed that the link with Sweden was one of the key projects to ensure energy security and independence of the region after the shutdown of Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP).

Initially the link was scheduled to be built by 2012. However, the observers believe now that the project may be implemented in 2015.