Russian ambassador: No reason to stop gas transit via Lithuania

MOSCOW, Feb 7 (PRIME) -- Russia has no reason to stop gas transit cooperation with Lithuania, ambassador to Vilnius Alexander Udaltsov told PRIME on Thursday.

“Gas delivered through pipelines is economically more viable and is the major energy source for the Kaliningrad Region. A long-term agreement on gas transit via Lithuania was signed with the local gas transit operator until 2025. I see no reason for Russia to stop cooperating with the Lithuanian partners,” he said.

Udaltsov also said that there is no sense in discussing the risks of switching off gas supplies to Lithuania as Russian gas giant Gazprom fulfills all its obligations fully

“A new agreement on Gazprom’s gas supplies to Lithuania for this year was signed in January. In 2017, Russian gas accounted for 59% of the gas used in the Baltic state, the volume amounted to 1.4 billion cubic meters. In January–September 2018, gas imports from Russia grew 8% to 936 billion cubic meters of gas,” he added.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is more expensive than pipeline gas, but Russian LNG deliveries from a sea terminal in Kaliningrad are still cheaper than LNG from the U.S., Qatar or South Korea. “So Russian LNG suppliers have good outlooks,” Udaltsov said.

He also said that Russia and Belarus have received no information about a technical plan of Baltic states, including Lithuania, to withdraw from the BRELL energy ring although a political decision was made in 2018.

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