“Being among the EU Member States which contributed significantly to placing energy security and a common European internal energy market on the EU priority agenda, Lithuania is proud to directly help develop energy solidarity not only in Europe but also in transatlantic relations,” reads the welcome address of Gediminas Kirkilas, Deputy Speaker of the Seimas and Chair of the Committee on European Affairs, to the conference Energy Solidarity in Europe: Towards the European Energy Community held in the Seimas on 20 September 2013.

In his address, Mr Kirkilas states that “The completion of the European Energy Community by 2015, when the EU should become free of any isolated energy islands and each of the EU Member States is included into the European gas and electricity network, will become a historical event. This should secure energy supplies to our citizens at favourable prices and provide the conditions for increasing European economic stability and competitiveness.”

It is further stated that a couple of weeks ago Lithuania inaugurated the NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence, which had, as the most important task, analysis of and advice on military energy security, and that the Centre could become the platform for the NATO-EU cooperation on energy security. “Lithuania seeks to make military energy security part of the EU Member States’ defence agenda and the EU Common Security and Defence Policy,” reads Mr Kirkilas’ address.

Morta Vidūnaitė, Adviser to Gediminas Kirkilas, Deputy Speaker of the Seimas, tel. +370 5 239 6278, mob. +370 612 01 121, e-mail: [email protected]