Baltic States – CIS, Energy, EU – Baltic States, Gas, Latvia, Transport

Daniels Pavluts.

In an interview to Latvian Radio this morning, the minister admitted that energy issues are one of his main priorities.

At the moment, finding a suitable location to construct the LNG terminal has become a priority, and Pavluts hopes that he will be successful in convincing his Lithuania and Estonian colleagues that this project must be implemented in Latvia. According to the economy minister, Latvia has all the advantages in constructing such a regional LNG terminal, because the region's gas supply system was previously created around the underground gas storage facility in Incukalns, where as much gas can be stored as is necessary for all three Baltic countries, writes LETA.

Pavluts intends to speak about this issue with his Baltic colleagues in the near future.

The new economy minister was evasive on a potential site for the construction of the LNG terminal in Latvia, however, reminded that experts previously named Riga as the most suitable site.

Pavluts also said that he intends to work hard to achieve energy independence in Latvia, and wishes to reduce Latvia's energy dependence from Russia.

He also praised the energy projects being implemented to strengthen energy independence in the Baltics at the moment – the Lithuania-Poland gas link, as well as the power links between Estonia and Finland and Lithuania and Sweden. According to Pavluts, the construction of a LNG terminal in Latvia would greatly improve Latvia's energy independence.

Commenting the Visaginas Nuclear Power Plant project in Lithuania, Pavluts admitted there are all the necessary pre-conditions to implement this project.

''There is not really much of an alternative,'' the minister said. ''The Visaginas plant is the most logical.''

At the same time, Pavluts added that it will be a very expensive and complicated project.