Lithuania to decide on extending gas transit agreement to Kaliningrad by year's end

MOSCOW. Feb 26 (Interfax) - Lithuania plans to make a decision on extending its gas transit agreement with Russia for the Kaliningrad region by the end of the year, but for now the issue is premature, Lithuanian Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas said.

"The agreement is in effect, transit is ongoing, and after this [its expiration], of course, options for extension will be considered. For now, it is still a relatively early matter," Vaiciunas was quoted as telling journalists on Wednesday after a meeting of the National Consumer Rights Protection Council by the Lithuanian portal bernardinai.lt.

The ten-year Russian-Lithuanian gas transit agreement through Lithuania is set to expire at the end of 2025.

"Historically, extensions and modifications to such contracts have always occurred towards the end of the year, this is a classic case. As of today, we acknowledge the fact that transit is proceeding under the agreements, and we are conducting ourselves in a civilized manner," he said.

"This issue concerns not only Lithuania and the Kaliningrad region but is also important for the European Union, and EU institutions will have to be involved in this process," he said.

Lithuania receives up to 20 million euros annually from Russia for gas transit, and Western sanctions imposed on the Russian banking system have so far not disrupted payments, he said.

Lithuania does not intend to unilaterally escalate relations with Russia, Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas told journalists on Wednesday when commenting on the possible termination of the agreement.

"When it comes to any pressure or lack of pressure, it's necessary to understand that escalating such relations is certainly not entirely beneficial for us as a country. Lithuania has never threatened its neighbors or attempted to exert pressure in any way," Paluckas was quoted as saying by the LRT portal.

"We certainly do not intend to use these tools for completely unnecessary escalation," he said.

At the same time, if a decision is made at the European level not to continue transit, the agreement will not be extended, he said.

"Gas transit is a European issue, and that is how it should be. If all of Europe decides that such gas transit is no longer necessary, it will be done," Paluckas said.

According to the Lithuanian National Energy Regulatory Council, the total volume of natural gas transit reached 12.9 TWh in H1 2024, up 7.5% compared to H1 2023.

In 2015, Lithuanian gas transmission operator Amber Grid signed an agreement with Gazprom under which Lithuania committed to ensuring an uninterrupted gas supply through the main pipeline connecting the Belarusian capital Minsk to the Kaliningrad region.

Lithuania ceased importing Russian gas for domestic use in April 2022.