Spectators wave Lithuanian national flags as the first terminal for liquefied natural gas is inaugurated in the port of Klaipeda, October 27, 2014
Photo: PETRAS MALUKAS/ AFP
Lithuania says it has stopped importing natural gas from Russia.
The energy ministry in Vilnius announced that the gas network of the Baltic EU and NATO country has been working without Russian gas imports since the beginning of the month.
This is confirmed by data from the Lithuanian network operator.
From this it can be seen that on April 2 no gas was imported via the Lithuania-Belarus pipeline.
"We are the first EU country among Gazprom's suppliers that is independent of Russian gas supplies," Energy Minister Dainius Kreivys was quoted as saying in the statement.
Accordingly, the entire Lithuanian gas requirement is now covered by the liquid gas terminal in the Baltic Sea port of Klaipeda.
Lithuania put the floating plant into operation at the beginning of 2015 in order to become less dependent on Russian gas imports.
According to the information, three large deliveries of liquefied natural gas are to arrive at the floating plant every month.
According to the Ministry of Energy, gas transit to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad via the Baltic state should continue regardless of the import ban.
Lithuania borders Kaliningrad as well as Russia's ally Belarus.
In March, Lithuania's parliament called on the government in Vilnius to stop the import and consumption of Russian energy resources as soon as possible in view of the Ukraine war.
According to parliamentary figures, Lithuania purchases oil, gas and electricity worth more than three billion euros from Russia every year.
jso/dpa