Until recently 100% reliant on Russia for its gas, Lithuania is already starting to reap the benefits of diversifying its energy sources.

Breaking free from a costly energy dependence

At the end of 2013 this simple gesture  cost a lot of money to Rimantas.

The price of gas in Lithuania was  18% higher than the European average.

The reason: the country was 100%  dependent on Russia for its supply.

Gazprom, the Russian company,  used unfair gas prices,

because the price we were paying  was almost the highest

or among the highest  gas prices in Europe, in the EU.

So naturally our authorities  wanted to change this situation.

For the Lithuanian Energy Minister, the  predominance of Russian gas in Europe,

especially given the drive  to build two new gas pipelines

connecting Germany and Russia,  Nord Stream 3 and 4.

Gas, historically, was used by Russia  as a political tool and this didn't change.

So this project also  emphasises the same situation.

It's meant to eliminate Ukraine,  other countries, out of the way,

and through this, to weaken the  European position and energy situation.

To diversify its supply sources, Lithuania  installed a new liquid gas terminal in 2014.

Supplied with Norwegian gas,  it has been operational since 2015.

When the gas was supplied from east  to west, we had a political price.

When the gas will be supplied  within the European Union,

well-connected and from west to east,  then we will have a market price.

In Vilnius, Rimantas has not yet seen  the impact on his gas bill,

but the price of imported Russian gas  fell by 19% in 2014.