Leaders of Poland and the three Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia met today to sign an agreement on a 562 km, 28 inch gas pipeline connecting Poland to Lithuania. The Gas Interconnector Poland-Lithuania (GIPL) will end the long lasting isolation of the Baltic Sea region and bring energy needed for a new economic development. Groundbreaking is to begin in December, 2019, at an estimated cost of €558 million.

Witnessed by President Juncker, together with the Prime Minister of Poland, Ewa Kopacz, the President of Lithuania, Dalia Grybauskaité, the Prime Minister of Latvia, Laimdota Straujuma and the Prime Minister of Estonia, Taavi Rõivas, today's signature is also a breakthrough increasing the security of supply and bringing more resilience to the European energy market.

At the occasion of the signature of the joint declaration, President Juncker said: "Today's signature is about European solidarity. It is about leaders taking responsible decisions to increase our security and strengthen our resilience. Today we have done much more than bringing the energy isolation of the Baltic States to an end. We have brought the region further together. Today we have agreed on European infrastructure that will unite us, instead of dividing us."