'Lithuania hopes for regional co-operation with Azerbaijan'

The 19th International Caspian Oil & Gas Exhibition and Conference Incorporating Refining was organized at a very high level, Lithuanian Energy Minister Arvidas Sekmokas told AzerTAc correspondent in Vilnius.

The Minister emphasized that all presentations at the conference were important. The main topic of the conference was dedicated to Azerbaijan’s energy resources, which may change the existing link of energy supplies to Europe, thereby strengthening the position of Azerbaijan and the whole continent.

Speaking about energy cooperation between Lithuania and Azerbaijan, the Minister said that two states established mutually beneficial relationships. Azerbaijan is rich in energy resources, and Lithuania is interested in Azerbaijani gas.

During the exhibition and conference in Baku, participants held productive meetings with representatives of gas industry. According to Sekmokas, Azerbaijan has chosen a policy of fair and reliable long-term cooperation. Stressing that Azerbaijan has unlimited opportunities in the fast growing market for liquefied natural gas, Arvidas Sekmokas said that Lithuania will open its market to different suppliers in implementing the third EU energy package in 2014. In this regard, Azerbaijan could become an exporter of liquefied natural gas via the Klaipeda terminal.

The implementation of the EU package, construction of Klaipeda terminal and a new level of supplies are incremental steps, which give the opportunity to create a transparent gas market. This market would be open to reliable partners. Lithuania hopes for such a regional co-operation with Azerbaijan, the Minister emphasized.

Sharing his impressions of Baku, Lithuanian Energy Minister noted the dramatic changes in the appearance of the city, which he has seen 20 years back. “Now the city has become a multicultural center of Azerbaijan, the city has grown in every sense, it is already a mega-city,” he said.


/AzerTAc/