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Baltic countries notify Russia, Belarus about withdrawal from unified power system

Baltic nations are working to synchronize their power grids with Europe through Poland

VILNIUS, July 16. /TASS/. Operators of power supply networks of Baltic countries have notified Russia and Belarus that they are withdrawing from the unified electricity system of Belarus, Russia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania (BRELL), Lithuania’s Energy Minister Dainius Kreivys has reported via his page on Facebook (prohibited in Russia due to its ownership by Meta, which has been designated as extremist).

"Operators of Baltic countries have signed a document, which officially states that they will not extend the BRELL agreement," he said, adding that "the testing of work in isolated regime and switching off from BRELL is planned for spring."

The notification should have been sent to Russia and Belarus as early as on Tuesday, media outlets said.

Baltic nations are working to synchronize their power grids with Europe through Poland. Joining the European system, Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn will simultaneously leave the BRELL. In August 2023, the prime ministers of Baltic states signed a declaration stipulating the intention to connect their power grids with Europe by February 2025. This commitment was confirmed in December in a declaration agreed with the European Commission and energy ministers of Baltic countries and Poland.