Lithuania and Latvia disagree on power link

VILNIUS- Latvian Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins has recently urged the public notto make the matter of the Baltic-Swedish electrical link a political issue.

"It is important not to politicize the interconnections issue, but toallow experts to evaluate the technical, economic and social benefits of eachinterconnection project," Riekstins said in a press release.

 The minister's spokeswoman UnaPuspura has told ELTA that "the Latvian minister"sposition differs from that of the Lithuanian minister (Usackas)."

 Usackas was quoted as saying that an agreement must be solidified assoon as possible in order to keep the confidence of other EU member states. Theproject also needs the EC's permission.  

 

As Minister Riekstins said, "Latvia presently sees intensivework being carried out on the said plan under the auspices of the EuropeanCommission, involving experts from governments, regulators, energy companiesand transfer systems operators. I cannot agree with the recent statements by Lithuania thatthere has been no advancement concerning the issue of Baltic interconnections,specifically, concerning the Baltic-Sweden interconnection."

 The EC has predicted an estimated 176 million euro for the project. However,Latvia and Lithuania have not yet agreed on which nationwill be joined to Swedenwith the power link.