Lithuanian Prime Minister is trying聽to attract shale gas聽investments with a plan to hold an exploration tender in 2015,聽director of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science at Vilnius University says.
Director聽Ramunas Vilpisauskas says that his聽recent and planned visits to other countries signal his desire to proceed with shale gas exploration in the country.
"I think the visits of the PM are directed towards the attraction of possible investors for聽shale gas exploration in Lithuania, but the key question is whether this kind of investment attraction activity will聽also聽be in line with domestic policies,"聽said聽Vilpisauskas.
According to Vilpisauskas, the PM has聽two objectives; one is to聽form a political consensus聽within the ruling coalition and also to inform聽the skeptics in the general public, especially those who are opposed to shale gas extraction in Lithuania.
Algirdas Butkevicius, Lithuanian PM paid聽a three-day聽visit to Oman on Monday with one of his aims being聽to seek investment opportunities for the聽country to explore its聽shale gas potential.
"While the Lithuanian PM has聽been trying to send signals to potential investors, the domestic political situation, in particular the disagreement over聽the prospects of shale gas in Lithuania between the ruling coalition partners and聽within the ruling PM鈥檚 social democratic party have discouraged potential investors,"聽Vilpisauskas explained.
American energy company Chevron, who聽won the tender for聽shale gas exploration in Lithuania,聽was working on this issue and聽committed to invest $80 million in Lithuania for the exploration license for seven聽years. However,聽in 2013聽the company聽announced that it was leaving the country due to an uncertain legal framework for the company's shale projects.
"At the moment without a partnership with western companies, it鈥檚 difficult to move forward in this area,"聽said Naser al-Tamimi, a U.K.-based Middle East analyst.
Lithuania aims聽to hold a new shale gas exploration tender in 2015.
By Murat Temizer
Anadolu Agency
murat.temizer@aa.com.tr