On Thursday 20 June, Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš, Prime Ministers of Lithuania, Estonia and Poland and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker signed, in the presence of the European Commission's Vice-President for Energy Maroš Šefčovič, a political Roadmap implementing the synchronisation of the Baltic States' electricity networks with the Continental European Network.
“By signing this political Roadmap today, we are even more closely involved in the joint European project. The synchronisation of the Baltic States' electricity networks with the EU Network has a number of important benefits - it will increase the energy security of our countries in the region, strengthen us on the European Union's energy market and create conditions for the rapid development of our economies,” said Kariņš.
The agreement for connecting the electricity systems of the Baltic States to the Continental European Network entered into force on 27 May this year. In order to progress towards the completion of the synchronisation project by 2025, the European Commission, in cooperation with the Baltic States and Poland, has developed a Roadmap for the future implementation of the synchronisation project from a political point of view.
On the Roadmap, the parties undertake to maintain political commitment and support in order to continue without delay the synchronisation of the Baltic States' electricity networks with the European networks through Poland by 2025 at the latest. In addition, by the Road map, the Baltic States and Polish transmission system operators are also given a mandate to introduce all necessary measures to ensure successful synchronisation with the European electricity networks and desynchronization from the Russian and Belarusian electricity networks.
The Roadmap also provides that the European Commission and the Baltic States continue the necessary procedures to conclude negotiations with Russia and Belarus to ensure that the desynchronization from Russian and Belarusian systems is carried out without additional risks to the security of their energy systems.
As announced, the Baltic States have taken a political decision to disconnect from the so-called BRELL energy circle, which connects Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia with Belarus and Russia. Historically, the energy systems of Latvia and the rest of the Baltic States have been designed as part of the former USSR’s unified energy system, so even after the restoration of independence in 1991, the Baltic States maintained the historical electricity transmission infrastructure and still continue cooperation in synchronous mode with Russia and Belarus.
Sandris Sabajevs Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Phone: 67082865, mob. phone: 22087726 E-pasts: Sandris.Sabajevs@mk.gov.lv