"Lithuania and Estonia share common goals - to ensure energy security in the region, implement the projects of strategic interconnections, promote investments, and pursue responsible financial policies. Being united and working together in the European Union and NATO we would better protect our interests, obtain more desirable results and become stronger," the President said.
According to the President, through joint effort the Baltic States have achieved that energy security is a priority for the whole EU. The European Council reaffirmed the objective of completing the EU's internal energy market by 2014 and ending the energy isolation of the Baltic countries by 2015.
Lithuania and Estonia have already joined the North European power exchange Nord Pool, with Latvia also joining it on 3 June. The construction of power interconnections with Sweden and Finland will secure an alternative and competitively priced electricity supply.
The European Council also approved the Lithuanian President's proposal to use a 5 billion euro support for energy projects, which is stipulated in the EU budget 2014-2020, as soon as possible without waiting for a 7-year period to expire. The funds could be used for financing gas and power links with Poland, which will enable the Baltic States' connection to the energy system of Western Europe.
The President further underlined that energy security and cyber security remained one of the key priorities in dealing with new threats. Both countries maintain successful cooperation in the NATO centers of excellence for energy security and cyber security, operating in Lithuania and Estonia respectively.
Special attention to these issues will also be given during Lithuanian presidency of the EU Council. The agenda of the European Council meeting to be held in October will include discussions on strengthening the information security, enhancing protection of personal data, and building Europe's digital market. The heads of state and government of the EU member states will continue discussing defence, energy security and cyber security in December.
The meeting also touched upon the Rail Baltica project, effective implementation of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, Eastern Partnership, enhanced protection of external borders, and the EU's digital agenda. President Dalia Grybauskaitė invited the Estonian President to the international conference on information and communication technologies ICT2013 to be held this autumn in Vilnius, with more than 4,000 participants expected.
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