ENERGY SECURITY CENTER OPENED AT THE LITHUANIAN MILITARY ACADEMY
Updated 2011-02-09
On January 14, The Energy Security Center was opened at the Gen. Jonas Žemaitis Lithuanian Military Academy in Vilnius. Ministry of National Defence will have an active role in the activities of the new Center directly subordinate to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a representative of the Ministry of National Defence will be appointed the Deputy Director of the Center, delegates of the Ministry will be included into the Center’s Board. The Center foresees aiming for the status of a NATO Center of Excellence.
According to the press release of the MOD, during the ceremony the Minister of National Defence Rasa Juknevičienė recalled establishment of the center from the starting point of the vision up to the persuasion were needed to prove the necessity of action in Lithuania’ energy security. However, today, as the Minister stressed, nobody questions the need for such center. „A message was delivered at the Lisbon Summit – we should build an energy security shield and energy security capabilities. With the establishment of this center we have made a step towards it," highlighted the Minister.
Audronius Ažubalis, Minister of Foreign Affairs, during the opening ceremony of the center stressed the increased importance of energy security and thanked Minister Juknevičienė who was the first to bring forward the point of establishing an Energy Security Center to the NATO agenda.
NATO announced a greater involvement in ensuring energy security during the Bucharest 2008 and Kiel 2009 Summits. The following sectors were named for possible NATO’s participation in solving energy security issues: information exchange, information analysis, stability architecture, deeper regional and international cooperation, management of aftermath and protection of critical energy infrastructure. The new NATO’s Strategic Concept approved in November at the Lisbon Summit highlights for the Alliance to deepen its competence in effort to contribute to strengthening of energy security through development of defence of vital energy infrastructures, transit sectors and lines, and through exchange of information and consultations on energy security points within the Alliance.
„Cooperation in energy security sector has the potential of becoming one of key areas for NATO-EU cooperation. We think NATO’s involvement would strengthen energy security initiatives of the European Union," Juknevičienė, Minister of National Defence said.
The opening ceremony was attended by representatives of state and educational institutions that in the future would cooperate with the Center, members of the Seimas (the Parliament), and participants of the informal European-North American international and security policy strategists’ meeting held in Trakai.
Energy Security Center together with other institutions and offices of state will implement state's energy security policy and will seek active presence in the international environment by contributing to the international initiatives of strengthening energy security. A special emphasis will be placed on cooperation with NATO in seeking the status of a NATO Center of Excellence contributing to the Alliance’s capability in the field of energy security.
Ministries of Energy, Education and Science foresee contributing to the Center’s activity, it the will cooperate with the Energetic Security Research Center of Vytautas Magnus University and other institutions of science of Lithuania.
