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President Dalia Grybauskaitė and President Toomas Hendrik Ilves of Estonia, currently on a working visit in Lithuania, discussed the situation in the eurozone, the preparedness for negotiating a new financial framework of the European Union, and the Nordic-Baltic cooperation. This is the first visit of the Estonian President after his reelection for the second term.

According to Dalia Grybauskaitė, the EU financial framework 2014–2020 should ensure the distribution of the EU structural funds equally, without making any difference between old and new member states. The Presidents of both countries will seek that the distribution of assistance meets the strategic goals of Lithuania, Estonia and the region as a whole, and yields concrete benefits for the economies of our countries.
 
“Together with Estonia we will strive to achieve that our farmers receive the same payments as the farmers of the long-standing member states, the structural assistance reaches less developed EU regions, and due funding is ensured for power interconnections which are of key importance to the people of our countries,” the President said.
 
Dalia Grybauskaitė underlined that in the face of the eurozone debt crisis the European Union had to take immediate measures to stabilize financial markets and to preclude the deepening of the crisis. Only stringent saving measures and immediate political solutions will allow achieving these goals, she said.

According to the President, Lithuania and Estonia, and the Nordic-Baltic region as a whole, can serve as an example for the EU countries of the responsible attitude towards the management of finances and economic policy.
 
“This year the economies of Lithuania and Estonia have grown most rapidly as compared to other EU countries, and the Nordic-Baltic region – one of the most rapidly developing regions in the European Union – becomes a dynamic driving force to advance economic growth, responsible fiscal policies, innovations, and progress,” the President said.

The Nordic Baltic region aspires to be among the first to put a single information space and digital market in place for accelerating electronic settlements, information exchange and access to information.

In 2012, Lithuania will coordinate the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) cooperation. The President noted that the deepening of security cooperation was among next year’s top priorities, including border control of the Nordic and Baltic countries, interaction in cyber and energy security, using to the full extent the possibilities offered by the Vilnius-based Energy Security Center.
 
Dalia Grybauskaitė invited the Estonian President to come to Lithuania for a state visit and attend the Nordic-Baltic summit to be held in Vilnius next year.

ENERGY SECURITY IS A COMMON GOAL OF LITHUANIA AND ESTONIA

President Dalia Grybauskaitė agreed with President Toomas Hendrik Ilves of Estonia, currently on a visit in Lithuania, to strengthen joint efforts in promoting energy security of the Baltic region.
 
According to Dalia Grybauskaitė, successful development of Lithuania, Estonia and the region as a whole, as well as the well-being of the people in these countries, largely depend on energy security and on ending the Baltic States’ energy isolation. Achieving of this goal is possible only via strategically significant power interconnections with Sweden and Poland, Visaginas NPP projects, and alternative gas supplies by land and sea, as well as by diminishing the dependence on the single supplier.
 
“The ensuring of energy security will also guarantee the political and economic security and will help create general well-being for the Lithuanian and Estonian people. We have agreed to cooperate further to achieve the ending of the energy isolation of our countries. Working together we will build a safe, strong and competitive region,” President Dalia Grybauskaitė said.
 
The Estonian President congratulated Lithuania on choosing the Japan Corporation Hitachi as the strategic investor for the Visaginas nuclear power plant and expressed the political support of its country to this project. Estonia is ready to participate in the development of the Visaginas NPP and specific terms will be a matter of further negotiations, he said.
 
The Presidents of Lithuania and Estonia have informed that both countries are going to build the liquefied gas terminals. According to Dalia Grybauskaitė, the possession of its own terminal will mean for each country less dependence on the single supplier of gas and lower prices for consumers.

President Dalia Grybauskaitė said that the liquefied gas terminal was an economically viable project which did not require large investments for its development and, therefore, after several years already we could have an alternative gas supply by sea.

The Presidents agreed to coordinate the activities of the Lithuanian-based Energy Security Center and the Cyber Security Center in Estonia. The Estonian President upheld our country's aspiration for the Energy Security Centre's becoming the NATO center of excellence.
 
Dalia Grybauskaitė and Toomas Hendrik Ilves also agreed to seek in the NATO summit in Chicago the extension of NATO's air police mission in the Baltic States.