Bridging the energy gap

The main point of the joint declaration, signed by Presidents Lech Kaczyński and Valdas Adamkus, is the promise to build an 'energy bridge', which would connect the two countries' energy systems.

The cost of creating the 1,000 mega-watt (MW) connection will amount to  between EUR 300-600 (zł.1,194-zł.2,388) million. The Lithuanian side hopes that its construction will start next year and that the connection will start working in 2011.

For Lithuania, building an energy bridge with Poland is of utmost importance. It will allow the country's energy grid to be connected to the European network, thus guaranteeing electric-energy supplies to Lithuania after the country shuts down its nuclear power plant in Ignalina in 2009.

Currently, Lithuania only has an energy connection with Russia. The agreement with Poland is one of a series of documents recently signed aimed at making Lithuania less dependent on Russian energy. Vilnius has already agreed with Finland and Sweden to build 350MW and 1,000MW connections respectively.

Poland will benefit from the agreement as well. "We have a pretext to improve the energy system in northeast Poland," Deputy Minister of Economy, Tomasz Wilczak, said. According to Marcin Sowa, a senior expert at the Ministry of Economy, Poland will also benefit from the transfer of Lithuanian electricity to the West. "In the future, after the Ignalina plant is shut down, Poland will also be able to sell electricity to Lithuania," he said.