Lithuania and Ukraine sign a statement against Nord Stream 2

Energy ministers of Lithuania and Ukraine Žygimantas Vaičiūnas and Ihor Nasalyk signed a joint statement on the threats that allegedly arise from the Nord Stream 2 project implementation. Vaičiūnas complained that both countries have experienced what ‘energy dependence’ means," Sputnik Lithuania reports.

The Lithuanian Ministry of Energy stated: "This document expresses firm support for the main objectives of the Energy Union - enhancing energy security and diversifying energy sources." According to Vaičiūnas, Nord Stream 2 poses a threat to solidarity of all EU member states. The document signed by the minister says that "the diversification of energy sources and the creation of a competitive market that ensure compliance with EU laws must apply to Nord Stream 2 and other gas pipelines that unite the EU with third countries." The energy ministers have supported the decision of the European Commission to revise the EU Gas Directive.

Recall that the Nord Stream 2 project envisages construction of two strings of a gas pipeline with a total capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year. They plan to build it alongside the Nord Stream on the bottom of the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany. Germany and Finland have already issued a package of permits for the construction of a gas pipeline in their territories. It is expected that Nord Stream 2 AG will soon receive permits from three other countries - Russia, Denmark and Sweden.

Ukraine and the United States are actively opposed to the Nord Stream 2 implementation. Kiev is afraid of losing revenues from the Russian gas transit, and the US is counting on its LNG supplies to Europe. Among the opponents of the project is also Lithuania, which believes that the new gas pipeline is aimed at making Europe dependent on the Russian gas.