Polish-Lithuanian power bridge project started

Feb 12, 2008 - BBC Monitoring European

The energy bridge to connect the Polish and Lithuanian power grids has many dimensions, president Lech Kaczynski declared at a ceremony attended also by Lithuanian president Valdas Adamkus here Tuesday.

One dimension is the Polish-Lithuanian cooperation, another one is the cooperation between Baltic states, and still other is cooperation inside the EU, Kaczynski explained.

resident Adamkus said the event was one of the milestones not only for the two peoples but also for the entire Europe. "This is a step to the future... the step to go down in history," he stressed. The two spoke during the ceremony of incorporation of a company to draft analyses of the power bridge project.

The agreement was signed by CEOs of Polish Power Grid (PSE Operator) and Lietuvos Energija in the presence of deputy PM, economy minister Waldemar Pawlak and his Lithuanian counterpart minister Vytas Navickas.

The so-called power bridge will connect the Lithuanian town of Alitus with the Polish town of Elk. The investment worth around 250 million euros will be completed by 2012.

The Lithuanian-Polish power bridge is on the list of EU priorities in the field of energy infrastructure. At present Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have no connection with the EU power grids. The new venture will change that situation.

Source: PAP news agency, Warsaw, in English 1752 gmt 12 Feb 08

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