OREANDA-NEWS. On February 04, 2007 President Valdas Adamkus received Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Waldemar Pawlak, currently on a working visit in Vilnius, to discuss topical energy issues, joint Lithuanian and Polish energy projects and routes of their implementation, reported the Official website www.president.lt.

Waldemar Pawlak told Mr. Adamkus about the results of the meeting held by the ministers of economy of the four Baltic countries – Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland – in Vilnius today. Mr. Pawlak pointed out that joint regional energy projects were being carried through at an increasingly more rapid pace.

President Adamkus underlined that the electricity bridge between Lithuania and Poland was among the four EU priority projects to be implemented as soon as possible.

“Having decided to build an electricity bridge, our two countries have made a commitment to the European Union,” Mr. Adamkus said. “By taking specific steps together with our partners, we would demonstrate not only our firm commitment to ensure the energy independence of our two nations, but also our resolve and capacity to assume responsibility for the future of the entire region.”

President Adamkus further said that the agreement on the electricity bridge with Poland should be signed as soon as possible. In response, Waldemar Pawlak told Mr. Adamkus that the agreement would be signed next week.

Among the other problems discussed by President Adamkus and Waldemar Pawlak was the Nord Streat gas pipeline and the threats it would pose to the ecosystem of the Baltic Sea.

It was decided to make a joint effort to find environmentally safe and economically viable alternative solutions. The construction of the Amber gas pipeline, running from Russia through the Baltic States and Poland to Western Europe, was mentioned as a possible solution.