Latvian PM: Riga Most Suitable Location for LNG Terminal

Latvian Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis has said that Estonia and Lithuania are refusing to admit the "obvious" -- that Riga is the best location for the construction of an LNG terminal.

The liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal which is planned to diversify gas supply to the three countries away from Russian Gazprom's supply has been the subject of contention between the three countries, with all three failing to agree on where to build the terminal. Each country has forwarded a location in their homeland as the ideal place for the terminal.

Prime Minister Dombrovskis says that the resultant disagreement has motivated the countries to abdicate responsibility for the choice to the European Commission.

"The Baltic states are unable to agree on the most suitable location for the terminal, which would serve as an alternative to Gazprom supplies," he told Latvian newspaper Latvijas Avize. "Therefore we have urged the European Commission to carry out a regional research and point at the most suitable location."