Ukraine’s accession to EU will strengthen energy security across Europe, — Lithuanian minister
Ukraine's natural gas storage facilities, which are among the largest in Europe, could play a key role in the EU's energy security.
This was stated by Lithuanian Energy Minister Žygimantas Vaičiūnas in an interview with Ukrinform, according to Censor.NET.
Details
When asked by a journalist what added value Ukraine’s membership could bring to the EU’s energy sector, the Lithuanian minister replied: "This is one of the strategic areas that could be mutually beneficial for Ukraine and the EU. We see a clear interest on Ukraine’s part in developing underground gas storage facilities to ensure the security of the continent’s gas supplies."
He emphasized that Lithuania, in particular, is interested in Ukraine’s gas storage facilities. He also noted that his country had previously contributed to the EU’s energy independence.
According to him, the gas sector is currently being discussed at the EU level, and this involves two issues.
"First, the Lithuanian liquefied natural gas terminal was used to transport gas to Ukraine via Poland. Since last year, four shipments have been sent to the Ukrainian system," explained Vaičiūnas.
The second issue for discussion is the potential of Ukraine’s underground gas storage facilities to serve as a storage site for Europe’s strategic gas reserve.
