The supply of Russian gas to Lithuania has been limited, reported on Wednesday to the journalists Viktoras Valentukevicius, Director General of the Lithuanian gas network operator – Lietuvos Dujos, - released ITAR-TASS.

“Around noon (12.00 o’clock Latvian time) reduction of gas supply by 25-30% was noted”, he stated.

According to the words of the Director General, no official reports concerning the reduction of gas supply was received, noted NEWSru.com. “However, our equipment has clearly fixed gas supply reduction”, - stressed Valentukevicius.

At the beginning of the day the company Lietuvos dujos stated that Russian gas is supplied to Lithuania continuously without any breaks in the agreed amounts by the routine route via Belarus. Transit natural gas supply to the Kaliningrad region of Russia goes through Lithuania either.

During the course of the gas conflict between Belarus and the RF the President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko gave directions on 22 June to stop transit of the Russian natural gas to Europe.

On 23 June, Wednesday morning “Gasprom” has cut the supply of gas to Belarus for the third time – for one third again. Considering the previous decisions the supply of gas to Belarus since 21 June was reduced in total by 60% from the planned amounts.

As Telegraf has already reported, in the case Russian gas supply to Lithuania via Belarus is interrupted, Lietuvos dujos is ready to import the necessary amount of gas via Latvia. “In the case of interruptions from the Belarusian side, we have contractual undertakings and technical possibilities to supply gas to Lithuania from the Incukalns gas storage and the systems in Latvia”, - said Sigita Petrikonyte-Jurkuniene, press-secretary of the Lithuanian company-transporter and gas supplier Lietuvos dujos.

“We have connections with Latvia, and if needed, the Russian gas may be supplied to Lithuania via Latvia, - clarified earlier to the Telegraf Vincent Makaris, press-secretary of the Latvijas Gaze. – Once we have already helped Lithuanians, so I assume, we may help them again”.

Material has been prepared by the Centre of Geopolitical Studies with reference to the article from «Телеграф.lv» of 23 06 2010

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