Baltic States – CIS, Energy, Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Gas

“It is essential to strengthen the external aspect of energy policy and have unified communication with third countries,” said Paet. “Together with building the connections we lack, this is another requirement for creating an internal energy market,” he noted.

Paet stated that energy-related relations with third countries must become a significant part of the political dialogue. To increase energy security the European Union should offer partnership, free trade, or energy-related agreements in order to ensure long-term and trustworthy energy supplies with definitive agreements and clear terms.

“Estonia supports the development of the Southern Corridor gas connection,” the Estonian foreign minister confirmed. “The Southern Corridor would help to increase the supply security of the European Union as a whole, diversify connections and supply channels of natural gases, and involve new suppliers,” Paet said. “The development of the Southern Corridor is a very important energy project for the European Union, the success of which would help to link the European Union, one of the biggest consumers of natural gas in the world, with extensive natural gas resources,” he explained. “In order for the Southern Corridor to be realised, the European Union must be united. Estonia believes that the Nabucco and Trans-Adrian pipelines are essential for bringing gas from Azerbaijan to Europe,” Paet added.