Neverovič said this during the Lietuva Tiesiogiai (Lithuania Live) program on Lietuvos Ryto TV when asked to comment on his meeting with Gazprom Export CEO Alexander Medvedev in Vilnius on 20 December.
"This conversation was aimed at getting to know (each other), listening to Gazprom's position and declaring our constructive disposition toward dialogue, which is what we heard from the other side as well. We will want to take an integrated approach and speak about everything, not only about the gas price. It is also important to agree on principles that would meet Lithuania's long-term interests," he said.
The minister, delegated to the post by the Electoral Action of Poles, said that Lithuania needs a system with a competitive gas price.
"We need a system in which the gas price would be competitive and we would be able to buy gas at prices like those in other EU states. There should be no threat to competition in that market either. The third energy package has to be implemented. This is a guarantee that the market will be functioning," he said.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius said last Thursday that the purpose of the meeting between the energy minister and one of Gazprom's top executives was to have a new gas price formula fixed in a supply contract between Gazprom and the Lithuanian gas import and transportation company Lietuvos Dujos (Lithuanian Gas), in which the Russian gas giant holds a significant stake.
The existing long-term gas supply contract between Gazprom and Lietuvos Dujos will remain in effect until the beginning of 2015. At the end of each year, the parties sign an addendum to the contract to set specific gas purchase volumes and prices for the next one-year period.
Butkevičius earlier mentioned that Lithuania wanted the price of gas to be lowered by around one-fifth and said that the government would seek to convince Gazprom to lower the gas price. The government plans to set up a working group for talks with Gazprom. Moreover, an intergovernmental meeting with Russian officials is planned to be held this month.
