"Nobody attached any importance to it or paid any attention to the document," the prime minister told journalists at the government on Monday.
He spoke in comment of the draft memorandum published in the media, which envisages that Gazprom would cut gas prices for Lithuania by 20 percent in exchange for a long-term contract and other terms and conditions. It was confirmed on Monday that the document was submitted by an E.ON Rurhgas representative. The document was forwarded to the government, the President's Office and the Foreign Ministry.
"It would be odd, if they started bringing every document to the prime minister," Butkevičius said.
"The government's position has been stated clearly – the Third Energy Package will not be changed, the construction of the liquefied natural gas terminal has to be completed in time," the prime minister told journalists.
A draft memorandum mentioned in the media had been sent to the Energy Ministry by Achim Saul, a representative of E.ON Rurhgas and chairman of Lithuania’s natural gas import and distribution company, the government said in a press release.
According to the draft memorandum, Gazprom would agree to lower the price of natural gas supplied to Lithuania by 20 percent if Lithuania agreed to extend its long-term gas supply contract with the Russian concern until 2020 and to guarantee reliable transit of gas to Russia’s Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad. Also Gazprom reportedly proposes to envisage a possibility to push back the unbundling of Lietuvos Dujos’ ownership by one year, until October 31, 2015.
Currently, E.ON Rurhgas controls 38.9 percent in Lietuvos Dujos (Lithuanian Gas), while Gazprom has 37.1 percent and 17.7 percent belongs to the Lithuanian Energy Ministry.
After implementation of the so-called Third Energy Package, master gas pipelines would be controlled by a new company separated from Lietuvos Dujos.
