Minister of Energy Žygimantas Vaičiūnas discusses Lithuanian-German energy cooperation in Berlin
During his visit to Berlin, Minister of Energy Žygimantas Vaičiūnas met with Stefan Wenzel, Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. During the meeting, the two sides discussed the strategic directions of cooperation between Lithuania and Germany in the field of energy, with a particular focus on liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure, renewable energy and energy security.
The meeting also focused on the protection of critical energy infrastructure. The Minister stressed the need to strengthen joint efforts in this area, given the security situation in the region.
“Given the security situation in the region and the serious incidents targeting our energy infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, this issue is one of the main priorities. We are actively working with the Baltic States and Poland to develop a comprehensive security package. We are also working on a comprehensive proposal to develop a reference model for infrastructure protection and resilience in the Baltic Sea Region," said Žygimantas Vaičiūnas.
The Minister welcomed the successful bilateral cooperation, in particular in the development of LNG infrastructure. “We highly value the cooperation with Germany, especially in the field of LNG infrastructure development. KN Energies currently operates 4 out of 6 LNG terminals in Germany. We support even greater cooperation with German companies, not only in the operation of existing terminals, but also in the development of new LNG projects in Germany and other countries. It is very important that the newly created LNG infrastructure is properly used to achieve the common goal of the European Union - to increase energy security and independence,” – said the Minister.
The meeting also discussed the potential to strengthen cooperation in the transition to clean energy, with an emphasis on the development of renewable energy sources.
During his visit to Germany, the Minister of Energy Žygimantas Vaičiūnas also met with representatives of German and Danish energy agencies and companies. During the meetings, the synchronization of the Baltic States’ electricity grids with continental Europe, the protection of critical energy infrastructure, the development of renewable energy sources such as offshore wind parks, and opportunities for cooperation were discussed.