Lithuania received its first spot shipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US on August 21, the result of a deal aimed at reducing dependence on Russia and consolidating relations with Washington amid increased tension in the region. “This is crucially important for the whole region,” said Lithuania’s Foreign Affairs Minister Linas Linkevicius.
“We want to cement our relationship with the United States in many aspects in addition to defense and security—energy trade is one of the strategic areas for cooperation,” he told Reuters. The government estimates it will import half of its gas consumption in 2017 as LNG, mostly from Norway’s Statoil. The rest will be imported via a gas pipeline from Russia.
