The meeting was held at the initiative of the United States with the aim of strengthening collaboration between the Baltic countries and the U.S. in energy security matters.
Dalia Grybauskaitė underlined that the United States was a strategic partner of the three Baltic States that strongly supported Lithuania’s efforts to diversify energy supplies, reduce dependence on Russian gas and build up energy security of the region.
It was agreed at the meeting to set up a 3+1 cooperation format between the Baltic countries and the United States to consolidate collaborative work in the synchronization of the Baltic grids with continental Europe, cyber security, renewable energy, and the creation of a common regional natural gas market with special emphasis on expanding LNG imports. The new cooperation format will be inaugurated in Vilnius this coming September.
The four-party meeting also focused on American liquefied natural gas supplies. The United States is one of the largest LNG suppliers in the world. Lithuania was among the first EU countries to begin importing American liquefied natural gas through its LNG terminal in Klaipėda. These supplies will ensure secure and reliable gas imports as well as fair competition across the Baltic States.
American LNG exports to the European Union increased by 272 percent over the past year. As much as 35 percent of U.S. liquefied gas is exported to the European Union.