Lithuania willing to purchase E.ON, Gazprom stakes in Amber Grid - PM
VILNIUS. Sept 6 (Interfax) - If offered, the Lithuanian government would buy the stakes held by German E.ON and Russian Gazprom in Amber Grid, the company formed from the gas transmission assets of national gas company Lietuvos dujos, Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius said on Friday after a meeting with Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller in Vilnius.
"Yes, we are also discussing this question and said we are preparing to buy E.ON's stake," Butkevicius said when asked if the government would buy Gazprom's stake in Amber Grid.
"If Gazprom offers its stake [for sale], if they want to sell, we will buy. I think that first of all, the price should be the market price," he said.
Energy Minister Jaroslav Neverovic clarified that at the moment no actual share purchase agreements are being discussed.
"I would like to clarify what the prime minister said. In essence, this is not yet about specific proposals to buy shares, whether shares in Lietuvos dujos or Amber Grid. In general, various scenarios are being considered and after all the government's estimations and decisions, contracts, agreements on possible purchase of shares, will be signed," Neverocvic said.
For now it is unclear whether a new valuation of Amber Grid shares will be performed.
E.ON Ruhrgas International owns 38.9% of shares in both Lietuvos dujos and Amber Grid, Gazprom has 37.06% and the Lithuanian Energy Ministry has 17.7%.
The litas is pegged to the euro at 3.4528 litai/EUR1.