Business News
PREVIEW: Baltics, Poland seek to loosen Russia's energy grip
By DPA
May 22, 2008, 5:03 GMT

Riga - Reducing dependence on Russian energy will top the agenda when the presidents of the three Baltic nations and Poland meet Thursday.

Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus was to host Polish President Lech Kaczynski in Vilnius for a first round of talks.

Then the two were travelling to the Latvian capital, Riga, to meet Latvian President Valdis Zatlers and Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves.

'They'll discuss energy and energy security in the context of the Kiev energy conference. They will also talk about the Georgian elections and showing possible support to Georgia,' Zatlers' spokeswoman Inta Lase told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

Poland and the Baltics want diversify energy supplies away from Russia and plan to build a nuclear power plant in Lithuania by 2015. Ukraine has expressed interest in joining the project.

Lithuania and Poland also aim to build an 'energy bridge' connecting the isolated Baltic electric grid to the rest of the European Union.

To other ex-Soviet nations, the Baltics stand out as success stories of European integration. They are encouraging Ukraine's and Georgia's integration to NATO and closer cooperation with the EU.

Poland and the Baltics joined the EU in 2004.

After Thursday's talks, the four leaders plan to travel the Ukrainian capital Kiev for a regional energy summit this weekend.