"Lithuania remains an important market for the Gazprom Group in the Baltic region. We are ready to look for ways to settle disputable issues by working together," Alexander Medvedev, the CEO of Gazprom Export, said in a press release after meeting with Lithuanian Energy Minister Jaroslav Neverovič in Vilnius on Thursday.
Medvedev and Neverovič discussed cooperation in the energy sector, the situation in the gas market and cooperation in resolving disputes, as well as the implementation of EU third energy package, the Russian company said.
The parties agreed to continue consultations, it said.
The energy minister said it was "a get-acquainted meeting", during which they agreed to seek "as much constructiveness as possible" in solving outstanding issues, as well as discussed gas market problems and other issues.
The Lithuanian government and Gazprom are in legal disputes with one another in international and Lithuanian courts over the price of gas supplied to the country.
In early October, Lithuania filed a claim of 5 billion litas (EUR 1.45b) against Gazprom with the Stockholm Arbitration Tribunal. The Lithuanian Court of Appeals ruled this week that it will not recognize the Stockholm Arbitration Tribunal's earlier ruling regarding the Russian supplier's gas price for Lithuania.
The European Commission is currently carrying out an investigation into Gazprom's pricing policies in Central and Eastern Europe. Arvydas Sekmokas, the previous energy minister, has said that this could prompt Gazprom to cut its gas price for Lithuania.
Medvedev last visited Lithuania in February 2012. He said in September that Lithuania was "a provocateur" of the European Commission's probe and that the country "does not have its own understanding regarding the parameters of the contract that it would like to discuss with Gazprom."
