Political issues might motivate Russian oil blockage: Lithuania PM

VILNIUS (AFP) – Political factors could be the real reason behind a halt in crude oil supplies by pipeline from Russia to the Mazeikiu Nafta refinery in the Baltics, Lithuanian Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas has said.

“A key political factor is the expiry of the EU-Russia Partnership and Cooperation agreement,” Kirkilas said in an interview on Ziniu Radijas radio Thursday.

The current, 10-year EU-Russia agreement expires in 2007. According to Kirkilas, EU officials are to hold talks with Russian President
Vladimir Putin in October to iron out the details of a new accord.

“The agenda for the meeting will include energy issues,” he said, adding that he intended to take part in the meeting.

AFP