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Baltic PMs meet to discuss security, energy, infrastructure projects

Xinhua, February 26, 2016 Adjust font size:

The prime ministers of the three Baltic states - Maris Kucinskis of Latvia, Algirdas Butkevicius of Lithuania and Taavi Roivas of Estonia - met here on Friday for informal talks, with security, energy and joint infrastructure projects featuring high on the agenda, local media reported.

All three Baltic states are united on issues concerning security, energy, Europe's migration crisis and infrastructure development, Latvian Prime Minister Kucinskis told reporters after the informal session with his counterparts.

The three prime ministers praised NATO's plans to increase its presence in the Baltics. They also discussed the refugee crisis, as well as expressed joint commitment to Rail Baltica II European-gauge railway project.

Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Roivas stressed that energy is also a matter of security and that Europe should support projects that are consistent with the European Energy Union's goals. He added that the planned Nord Stream 2, a new gas pipeline Russia intends to build across the Baltic Sea to Germany, would increase Europe's dependence on one particular supplier.

The informal talks also touched on the creation of a single Baltic energy market by strengthening cooperation on electricity and gas supply, as well as on new regulations providing for the liberalization of the Latvian gas market.

Latvian Prime Minister Kuncinskis noted that Latvia regards Lithuania, which has built a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, as a potential gas supplier that could help Latvia diversify its supply sources.

Lithuania's Butkevicius voiced concerns about Belarus' plans to build a nuclear power plant close to the Lithuanian border and called for support from other EU nations to ensure the project was completed according to the highest international standards.

Speaking of the migration crisis, Latvian Prime Minister Kucinskis said that the massive inflow of refugees was an unexpected challenge which all European countries had to tackle together. To deal with the problem, it is also essential to understand its causes and solve the Syria crisis, the three prime ministers said.

Baltic prime ministers hold informal meetings once in a year. The previous meeting took place in 2015 in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. Enditem