No need for declaring state of emergency in energy at the moment - Economics Ministry

RIGA - At the moment, there is no need for declaring a state of emergency in energy sector, given that the situation is stable, the Economics Ministry told LETA.

Representatives of the ministry pointed out that Saeima was already revising the Energy Law, and a new provision had been added to the law at the beginning of April to ban imports of natural gas from Russia. As further progress with amending the law depends on Saeima, the Economics Ministry believes that declaring a state of emergency would not change anything for the time being.

Furthermore, declaring a state of emergency could cause unjustified panic, the ministry emphasized

Juris Puce, chairman of Development/For group in Saeima, earlier proposed to consider declaring an energy crisis, as this would give the Cabinet of Ministers opportunity to set energy supply priorities, as well as terminate contracts for gas supply.

As reported, the Economics Ministry is holding talks with Estonia and Finland to secure gas supply from the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal currently under construction in Paldiski, Estonia. This terminal is expected to be ready by the end of this year.

Deliveries of LNG from the terminal in Klaipeda, Lithuania, will also continue. The government coalition has agreed in principle on building a liquefied natural gas terminal in Latvia, Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins (New Unity) said at a news conference following the weekly coalition meeting on Monday.

The prime minister said that the Economics Ministry has been tasked with working with potential investors to figure out who and where will build the terminal, which Karins described as a medium-term project.

LETA also reported that Saeima Economic, Agriculture, Environmental and Regional Policy Committee on April 6 supported a proposal to impose a ban on natural gas supplies from Russia to Latvia in the Energy Law.