Leaders of the three Baltic States, President Dalia Grybauskaitė of Lithuania, President Valdis Zatlers of Latvia, and President Toomas Hendrik Ilves of Estonia, met in Vilnius today and agreed that Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia would stand united in their aspiration towards energy independence and would seek European funding for regional energy projects. READ MORE

The dynamics of international life of the passing year comprised a sound list of significant events, which are able to give a start for new large-scale transformations as many commentators think. They include – the launch of the “Eastern Partnership” program. This project has called different reactions among the states participating within “Eastern Partnership” as well as in neighboring capitals. The reaction was mainly emotional and unpredictable. It’s perfectly known that for example Warsaw gives a strategic meaning to this project. Moscow also sees a long-term effect, strategy but the aim of this strategy is observed in a different way. READ MORE

With the turn of a ceremonial valve, China’s president, Hu Jintao, opened a big natural gas pipeline from central Asia to China on Monday, significantly increasing China’s access to the fuel and providing the first major alternative to exporting the region’s gas through Russia. READ MORE