Paet says energy security still a problem for Baltics

The Baltic States have excellent relations between each other, but enhancing the region's energy security remains an urgent problem, Estonian Foreign Affairs Minister Urmas Paet said in a press conference in Riga on May 22, reports LETA.

"The cooperation between the Baltic States is very efficient, including in security, also energy security. At the moment, several projects are being carried out in order to reduce energy dependence," Paet said, mentioning the Estonian-Finnish gas interconnection as one such example.

"I am certain that Latvia's presidency at the Council of the European Union will allow us to cooperate closer in various fields next year," Paet said. "We are planning to send a diplomat to Latvia, who would inform us about the events in Riga and Latvia, providing faster information exchange," Paet added.

Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics (Unity) said that the Latvian and Estonian representatives meet on a regular basis at various international organizations, but bilateral visits, such as Paet's visit to Latvia, help both countries to discuss various matters more extensively. "We are very pleased with the political and economic relations between both countries, and we closely cooperate on pan-EU projects as well. We have to do everything we can to reduce our energy dependence," Rinkevics said.

He also mentioned that several pan-Baltic projects are currently being carried out, for example, the Rail Baltica railroad project.