bns: Energy security - France's top priority for Lithuania during EU presidency period - diplomat
Updated 2008-07-03
VILNIUS, Jul 03, BNS - France's presidency over the European Union (EU) will render Lithuania with the best possibility of sharing its concerns regarding the country's energy security after closing of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) with the West, a Lithuanian diplomat said.
Undersecretary to the Foreign Ministry Zygimantas Pavilionis told BNS Thursday that it is important to present the situation Lithuania will be left in after closing the INPP in the context of energy security in pursuit of "potential conclusions and decisions this might derive".
"Energy security in its broader meanings includes both integration of the EU's and Lituania's gas and energy networks and creation of alternatives for current monopolized supply, including that from Russia. What alternatives?
They can be both geographic, for example stretching Central Asia's supply towards us, and technological, i.e. promoting effectiveness in the energy sector", Pavilionis spoke.
The diplomat also said the future of nuclear energy should be noted as well, because the French are EU leaders precisely in this domain.
"This is the most favorable period for us to tell all the energy problems that we will be left with after closing Ignalina and consider all possibilities of how to evade negative consequences after all. There is no period more favorable for energy issues than France's presidency", the Foreign Ministry's representative said.
Pavilionis notes that another important aspect of France's EU presidency is EU Eastern Neighborhood.
"France was probably the first of EU countries to begin suggesting the strategic value of Ukraine and we very much hope that in the Ukraine-EU summit in September, with the help of France, we will manage to generate political will by providing Ukraine a prospect of EU membership or at least making tangible steps towards this prospect. This would be the most important decision in an Eastern direction during France's presidency period", the diplomat said.
During France's presidency period, Lithuania will be active in monitoring the progress of EU-Russia talks on the Strategic Partnership Agreement, due to commence in Brussels Friday, Pavilionis said, adding that the country will aim to initiate a strategic review and analysis of Russia's policy.
The diplomat also said that issues such as visa facilitation for inhabitants of Georgia, Belarus and Russia's Kaliningrad enclave as well as EU's more active role in dealing with conflicts in Georgia's separatist regions will also be brought up.
"Russia will be provided with all possibilities to observe its international commitments and withdraw its forces, which cannot be considered as being engaged in peace-making", the diplomat noted.
Another important priority to Lithuania, the Foreign Ministry's representative said, will be to maintain a discussion with EU countries that have not yet ratified the Lisbon Treaty and find common decisions, which would help this treaty become valid prior to the elections for European Parliament in 2009.
Pavilionis noted that Lithuania must avoid the recent eruption of silent discussions of the possibility to call off the Lisbon Treaty and switch over to a two or three-speed model in the European Union. This would be both unfavorable and dangerous to Lithuania, the diplomat said.
France's presidency over the EU commenced as of July 1st and will continue to the end of this year. EU presidency will be then taken over from France by the Czech Republic.
