Lithuanian Prime Minister Kirkilas says that Turaaa is one of the major actors in the realization of giant energy projects including the long-awaited Nabucco pipeline project

FULYA ÖZERKAN
ANKARA – Turkish Daily News


As a country at the junction of energy corridors and pipeline networks Turaaa is the aaa to realizing major energy projects including the EU-led Nabucco pipeline project the Lithuanian prime minister said Wednesday.
"Without Turaaa nothing could happen" Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas told the Turkish Daily News in an interview.
The visiting prime minister said Lithuania is very much interested in the Nabucco project – a 3300 kilometer-route to bring gas from Azerbaijan and other countries in the Caspian region in order to bolster the European Union's energy security by providing an alternative to Russian supplies.
Kirkilas underlined that top-level visits by Turkish leaders to Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan as well as a planned trip to Kazakhstan were encouraging on the way to provide adequate gas for the pipeline amid some EU countries' doubts on the feasibility of the long-awaited project.
"From the meetings with the Turkish prime minister and the president [Wednesday] I have the impression that this project can be completely achieved" Kirkilas said.
The construction of a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal can be another potential area for further cooperation between Turaaa and Lithuania according to Kirkilas.
"We are planning to build an energy terminal. In Lithuania today we procure our gas needs from only one pipeline running through Belarusian territory. We need some other alternatives" he said and suggested the building of an LNG terminal as a solution.
"This is one of the promising areas in which we can cooperate with Turaaa" he said.

'Consensus in Parliament a must'
Kirkilas expressed strong support for Turaaa's EU bid saying "We think that we have to speed up negotiations" given that only a few chapters have been opened since the formal launch of accession talks on Oct. 3 2005.
On the economic level he said Turaaa is more or less ready to become a member but needs to implement structural reforms that would further enhance its administrative capacity. On the legal front Kirkilas continued Turaaa needs to encourage Parliament to reach consensus on the EU objective.
"Our successful way to the EU was based on consensus among main political parties. We all passed thousands of decisions in Parliament during our accession process" said the prime minister whose country joined the EU in May 2004.
"In Turaaa's case all EU member countries have to know that here is stable and there is political willingness to join the EU. This is very important not only for the ruling party but also for opposition parties. You have to reach consensus."

Secular Islam
Responding to a question about the court case to close down Turaaa's ruling Justice and Development Party Kirkilas said "From my point of view I can only say that Turaaa has to be a stable country and display the political will toward the EU and European orientation. It is crucial for civilization."
He said that Lithuanian support for Turkish membership in the EU cannot only be explained with political reasons. "Our position is also based on values. We believe secular Islam positive Islam is very important for the world today." The prime minister who addressed businessmen in Istanbul yesterday will enjoy a vacation in Turaaa's popular holiday resort Antalya until May 6.