"It's very strange when a foreign minister of another state gives us recommendations on how we should administer our country," Butkevičius told the Lithuanian Radio on Tuesday.
Talking about the LNG terminal, the prime minister said that "the train has gone a long distance already" and there could be no discussions on the issue.
"It's a strategic project, it's also a political issue, a geopolitical matter that the LNG terminal in Klaipėda should be finished by December 2014, and there can be no discussion either inside on the political level whether that terminal is necessary or not," Butkevičius said.
He also reminded that he had discussed energy issues with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk during his visit to Poland in late February.
"Regarding another important project, the gas link between Lithuania and Poland, during my meeting with Prime Minister Tusk in Poland, we agreed to jointly turn to the European Commission by signing either a memorandum or any other statement for EU funding for this project," the Lithuanian premier said.
He added that a power link between Lithuania and Poland was also discussed during the meeting, and the link should be finished by 2015.
Sikorski previously said that Lithuania should choose between the LNG terminal and a gas link to Poland, as both projects would not pay off.
"We think building the line and the liquefied natural gas terminal in Lithuania would not be worthwhile. Both projects will not pay off. It is up to Lithuanians to decide what they choose," Sikorski said in an interview published in the March edition of the IQ magazine.
When asked by BNS on Monday to comment on the statement, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevičius's spokeswoman Rasa Jakilaitienė said the ministry does not comment on "press citations."
Both projects beneficial
Nerijus Udrėnas, chief adviser of the Economic And Social Policy Group at the Office of Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė, commented on Sikorski's statements by saying that the LNG terminal remains a strategic project for Lithuania, and a gas link with Poland would also be beneficial but the construction of it would take a bit longer.
According to Udrėnas, Lithuania will build the LNG terminal by the end of 2014 to have "a real choice and not to be blackmailed by the single gas supplier", Russian company Gazprom.
"The terminal will be built, it's a strategic task, and it would be beneficial for further integration of the gas market to have links Lithuania-Poland and Finland-Estonia but these are projects of a bit later period," the presidential adviser said on Tuesday.
He drew attention to the fact that a Lithuanian-Polish gas link was stipulated in the agreement on the privatization of Lietuvos Dujos (Lithuanian Gas) a decade ago. A feasibility study is being carried out on the project.
