There's been some evolution in how the Baltic Sea states are dealing with the Russian-German pipeline agreement, whereby Russian will provide central Europe with energy, bypassing more traditional conduits through Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, prompting protests from those governments, especially Poland and Lithuania.
According to the Nordic Council, increased energy cooperation was a focal point of a joint meeting of Nordic and Baltic prime ministers this week in Copenhagen:
Energy co-operation across the Baltic Sea was an important theme at the meeting of Nordic and Baltic Prime Ministers, 30 October. The Baltic countries are busy emerging from their 'energy isolation' thanks to power cables to Finland, Poland and Sweden.
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The issue of the power cables from Estonia to Finland and from Lithuania to Poland and Sweden was also discussed at the meeting. The Baltic States want to break their isolation as far as energy is concerned - and may even build a new nuclear power plant together.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel also offered a 'European' integration solution to the 'pipeline dilemma' facing the Baltic Sea countries during a meeting with Polish PM Jaroslaw Kaczynski:
German Chancellor Angela Merkel vowed Monday she would push for Poland and the Baltic states to be linked to European Union natural gas and electricity grids in order to supply energy in case of future cut-offs from countries such as Russia.
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"We agreed to discuss energy supply ... in the sense that we create a common European energy market in both electricity and natural gas supply and that naturally Poland and the Baltic states must have access to the European gas markets," said Merkel.
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Merkel admitted that fully connecting Poland and the Baltic states to EU energy grids, especially the gas grid, would be "difficult" but that she expected initial decisions to be made at an EU summit hosted by Germany next March.
I am not sure how this all going to work out, but it's nice to see some solutions in the pipeline.
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All is correct, except there's no traditional gas conduits through Estland. Unless you somehow mean ENSV supplying St Pete with shale gas in the 50s and 60s.
In the case of Merkel she can only be helping Estonia to integrate into grid, not actually push into it, as we have already achieved 1/3 integration through the Finnish cable, without generous pushing of our German friends.
All is correct, except there's no traditional gas conduits through Estland. Unless you somehow mean ENSV supplying St Pete with shale gas in the 50s and 60s.
I am thinking of oil, gas, and nuclear power - not just gas.
It's nice to see them (the Germans, Scandinavians, Finns) receptive to dialogue here.
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