Transatlantic Energy Summit in Greece: Focus on Energy Security and Support for Ukraine
On 6-7 November, Energy Minister Žygimantas Vaičiūnas is participating in the 6th Partnership for Transatlantic Energy Cooperation (P-TEC) Ministerial Meeting and Business Forum in Athens, Greece.
Today, on 6 November, a meeting between representatives of the governments of Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine, and the United States (US) and officials from the European Commission has been held on the sidelines of the P-TEC Ministerial Meeting. During the meeting, the participants discussed opportunities to increase US liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies to Europe through LNG import terminals, including EU-supported efforts to ensure gas supplies for both emergency situations and long-term strategic diversification.
“This P-TEC meeting and our dialogue with the US and regional partners provide a good opportunity to put the EU’s goal of abandoning russian gas into practice—by ensuring greater LNG supplies from the US and at the same time strengthening real and urgent support for Ukraine. After russia’s brutal attacks on energy infrastructure, we must act quickly. I am glad that Lithuania is already, at this very moment, making a real contribution to the aid effort by shipping an LNG cargo to Ukraine. This is a concrete example of our transatlantic cooperation. We are also actively discussing further opportunities to supply gas to Ukraine in the coming winter,” Energy Minister Vaičiūnas said.
The existing and planned modern LNG infrastructure in Poland and Lithuania, connections with Slovakia and Ukraine, and long-term cooperation between the US and regional gas suppliers form the basis for further transatlantic energy cooperation, ensuring reliable energy supplies and economic growth throughout Central Europe. In this context, it was emphasized that Poland’s growing gas transmission and import infrastructure is an important part of the Northern Gas Corridor.
During the meeting, Mr Vaičiūnas emphasized Lithuania’s readiness to use the Independence LNG terminal operated by AB KN Energies in Klaipėda to ensure additional gas supplies to Ukraine as early as 2025–2026, thus ensuring the effective functioning of not only the southern but also the northern gas import corridor.
During the P-TEC event, Energy Minister Vaičiūnas met with Maxim Timchenko, head of Ukraine’s largest private energy group, DTEK. The meeting discussed opportunities for cooperation between DTEK and the LNG terminal operated by AB KN Energies to ensure gas supplies to Ukraine.
Bilateral meetings were also held with the heads of international energy companies to discuss investments in energy infrastructure development, diversification of supply chains, and joint projects to strengthen the region’s energy resilience.
This year, the P-TEC meeting focuses on strengthening energy security, LNG import issues, increasing assistance to Ukraine, critical energy infrastructure resilience and security issues, nuclear energy development, and the importance of transatlantic cooperation in accelerating the transition to a more competitive, sustainable, and secure energy future.