The prime ministers of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have agreed on the construction of a new nuclear power plant in Lithuania.
Algirdas Brazauskas, Aigars Kalvitis and Andrus Ansip met in Lithuania to define the position of the Baltic States regarding power-engineering issues and the coordination of national power strategy.
The three signed a Joint Communiqué, which set out plans to work out a common energy strategy for the Baltic States during 2006 and which supports the initiative to construct a new nuclear power plant in Lithuania. The agreement invites the energy enterprises of the Baltic States, namely Lietuvos Energija, Latvenergo and Eestienergia, to invest in the designing and construction of the new nuclear plant.
At present the Soviet-built Ignalina generates more than 70% of Lithuania’s electricity and also supplies power Estonia and Latvia but is due to be decommissioned as part of EU accession talks by the end of 2009.