We need to step up joint Polish-Baltic infrastructure projects – Lithuanian president

VILNIUS – Lithuanian-Polish cooperation is needed to speed up the synchronization of the Baltic electricity grids with Western Europe, as well as step up the implementation of joint road and railway projects, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says.

"Our cooperation is key for the development of joint infrastructure projects of strategic importance to our countries. We need to accelerate and complete the synchronization of the Baltic electricity grids with the continental networks of the European Union," Nauseda told a joint press conference with his visiting Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda on Wednesday.

"It's important to accelerate the implementation of the joint strategic infrastructure projects for Poland and the Baltic States – the Rail Baltica and Via Baltica projects, as well as the implementation of the alternative Augustow-Alytus road," the Lithuanian president added.

These transport corridors are important for ensuring military mobility, especially in the Suwałki corridor, the Lithuanian president stressed.

For his part, the Polish leader said he hoped that new Polish banking and energy players would soon enter Lithuania.

"We very much hope that the Polish banking sector and the energy sector will soon enter Lithuania. Orlen has been around for many years and has been operating successfully and bringing many benefits to Lithuania. And also in Poland, which makes me extremely happy, and we hope to implement many joint projects in the future, both in the field of climate change and in the field of wind farms in the Baltic Sea," Duda said.

"I very much hope that we will soon synchronize the energy systems between Poland, Lithuania and the Baltic states," he added. 

Last year, Poland became Lithuania's main trading partner, as the bilateral turnover exceeded the 10 billion euro mark, and Polish investment in Lithuania grew by "double digits", Nauseda said.