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The Baltic States’ agreement on electricity trade with third countries, which is relevant to Lithuania due to the energy produced at the Astrava nuclear power plant, is still pending approval by our Government.
In the agreement, Latvia and Estonia express their support for Lithuania’s aspiration not to allow the electricity produced by Astrave to enter its market, but the refusal of the Baltic “sisters” to commit not to buy this electricity has been criticized.
Latvia is betraying Lithuania?
“If Latvia goes against Lithuania, uniting with Russia, with the Russian aggression against Lithuania, it is wordless,” V. Landsbergis evaluated the Latvian proposal to accept the agreement as a compromise option.
The professor told the news portal tv3.lt that this Latvian policy is the end of any conversation about the historical brotherhood of the Baltic States, especially Lithuanians and Latvians.
“There is no brotherhood here, everything is for sale,” Landsberg said.
Vytautas Landsbergis
The first restored head of state considered the benefits of Latvia’s support without endorsing Lithuania’s ambition to boycott the electricity produced by Astrava. According to V. Landsbergis, there are more important things than unique economic benefits.
“Extraditing Lithuania is a well Latvians will never get out of.” Here is that great evil. Everything else is smoke and blurred vision, “the professor is convinced.
V. Landsbergis compared the proposal to compromise with 1990, when the western states offered Lithuania, which had just regained its independence, to go to negotiations with the Soviet Union.
“Revoke your act of independence, start negotiations from scratch with Gorbachev. He promises to give you something, to spend from the Soviet Union. We knew better that we could not do that and that is not a compromise, it is a capitulation. <...> Now I hear the same thing, “said V. Landsbergis.
In his opinion, Lithuania should not abandon its principled position and follow the so-called “anti-astrology” law adopted by the Seimas.
On Monday, Lithuania celebrated the 80th anniversary of the Soviet occupation. V. Landsbergis compares the scenario in which Lithuania accepts the compromise agreement agreed with 1940 events.
“If Lithuania capitulates against Rosatom (Atomic Energy Corporation of the Russian State – aut. Past). AND Rosbel (a united state of Russia and Belarus – aut. past), this is nowhere to be found, we fully repeat the 80-year capitulation to Stalin’s ultimatum. Molotovo-Ribbentrop area … Excellent. And Latvians are doing a service for the eternal memory of Molotov-Ribbentrop, ”V. Landsbergis said on tv3.lt.
Linkevičius: unfortunately there is no common position
Although government approval for the entry into force of the Baltic Agreement is lacking, not all Lithuanian ministers are satisfied with the agreed option.
At the meeting of the Baltic and Polish ministers, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius stated that the position on the Astrava nuclear power plant was unanimous.
“We have to find common positions here, which, unfortunately, are not common at the moment. We are constantly talking about it,” said L. Linkevičius.
Meeting of the Baltic and Polish Foreign Ministers (photo, photo, day)
According to the minister, negotiators continue to negotiate a joint Baltic agreement on electricity for the Astrava nuclear power plant. According to him, the ultimate goal is simple: to be as independent as possible from the eastern electricity supply.
“A cheap price is attractive, but sometimes that cheap price can translate into very expensive political costs,” the Lithuanian Foreign Minister is convinced.
“Solidarity works from two sides,” said Latvian Foreign Minister Edgar Rinkevičius
He said that the issue of electricity produced by the Astrava nuclear power plant had been debated more than once, and there had been heated debates among the countries’ ministers and within the Latvian government itself. Although the agreement between the Baltic States has received conflicting opinions in Lithuania, E. Rinkevičius has a different opinion.
“The current agreement is the best compromise reached by all parties,” said the Latvian foreign minister.
According to him, Latvia understands Lithuania’s position and concern about Astrava, according to E. Rinkevičius, he raised this issue several times in talks with the Belarusian Foreign Minister and the country’s Prime Minister or President, Aliaksandr Lukashenko.
“We all share the same opinion: we just want to have safe energy, we want the situation on our borders to be as safe as possible,” said E. Rinkevičius.
Meeting of the Baltic and Polish Foreign Ministers (photo, photo, day)
According to him, the discussions and negotiations on the agreement between the Baltic States were not easy and the compromise reached should be welcome. According to E. Rinkevičius, the sooner the Baltic states separate from the eastern electricity grids and complete synchronization with the West, the better, but, according to the Minister, it is necessary to have a plan for the next five years.
“But I think in the end we need to move forward with what has been achieved during the long negotiations between the energy ministers,” E. Rinkevičius is convinced.
Latvian resistance
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia currently operate synchronously in the so-called BRELL ring of the post-Soviet energy system and depend on the dispatch center in Moscow and Russia.
After long disputes between them, the Baltic countries confirmed last year that they would synchronize with Western Europe through Poland. Lithuania has failed to persuade neighboring Latvia to commit to boycotting the Astrava nuclear power plant until the synchronization project is completed.
The Latvian government declares that if Lithuania ceases electricity trade with Belarus, it will switch to electricity trade with Russia for technical and economic reasons. This may open up the possibility for Astravo electricity to enter the Baltic market through Russia.
The Baltic agreement on electricity trade with third countries, the adoption of which has so far been postponed by the government, is causing much discussion. In the deal, Latvia and Estonia expressed support for Lithuania’s aspiration not to allow electricity produced by the Astravas nuclear power plant to enter its market, but critics of the deal point the finger at the Baltic states’ reluctance to do not buy this electricity themselves.
Electricity entering Latvia and Estonia is considered to eventually reach Lithuania. The agreement stipulates that the new procedure will apply from the commissioning of the Astrava nuclear power plant and will remain in force until 2025, when the Baltic States will join the power grids in Western Europe.
Astravo AE
Negotiations on the deal have been going on for several years, and Lithuania is trying to persuade neighboring countries not to buy electricity from the Astrava nuclear power plant, but Latvia opposes it.
The agreement presented to the government provides for the support of Latvia and Estonia to the decision of Lithuania not to buy electricity from Belarus. There are also plans to create fuses, which are expected to ensure that the electricity produced by the Astravas nuclear power plant does not enter Lithuania and, therefore, implement the so-called “anti-Travian” law adopted by Seimas.
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