OREANDA-NEWS. October 14, 2009. President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaite on a working visit to Finland says that Finland is a very important partner of Lithuania in strengthening cooperation with Nordic countries and that Finnish experience in the field of energy and innovation is also very useful to Lithuania.
 
While in Helsinki, President Grybauskaite met with Finland's President Tarja Halonen to discuss opportunities for Lithuanian-Finnish cooperation in implementing concrete projects, especially in the field of development of alternative energies. The two Presidents exchanged views on the NordStream project, underlying the need to make a thorough examination and assessment of the environmental impact of this project. Lithuanian and Finnish leaders also spoke out for further implementation of the EU Eastern Partnership Programme in developing relations with Europe's Eastern neighbours.
 
Answering questions for the Finnish media about construction of the new nuclear power plant in Lithuania, the President said that investors would be selected by way of public tendering procedure and invited Finnish businesspeople to contribute to the construction of the plant.
 
Asked to give an estimate of Lithuania's economic situation, the President answered that the sale of USD 1.5 billion worth of Lithuania's securities in international markets opened up every opportunity to overcome the downturn with Lithuania's own efforts, without recourse to assistance from the International Monetary Fund.
 
In the meeting with Finland's Speaker of Parliament Sauli Niinisto, the President discussed possibilities to strengthen bilateral inter-parliamentary relations.
 
President Dalia Grybauskaite also met with Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen. In the meeting, the President underlined the need to create a common Baltic-Nordic energy market and to build an electricity bridge between the Baltic States and Finland. Finland's Prime Minister expressed support to Lithuania.
 
Among other issues discussed in the meeting was the process of ratification of the Lisbon Treaty in the European Union Member States and the preparedness of the Community for institutional reform.