Estonia and Lithuania have started consultations to explore opportunities for cooperation in air transport but they are currently at such an early stage that it is premature to say anything for or against it, chairman of the supervisory board of Estonia's national carrier Estonian Air Erkki Raasuke said on Thursday.
"Discussions are underway. I have not taken part in them myself but I believe that they're in such an early phase that nothing can be said about them at this point," Raasuke told BNS. "What has been agreed is that work will continue and the topic will be examined in depth."
Raasuke added that at present there is no reason for speculations either in favor of or against cooperation.
In his words, the ongoing discussions cannot even be called negotiations, it's rather a background analysis. "Without knowing where they lead or what results they bring, it's impossible to say when a next step might be taken," he said.
Estonia and Lithuania could establish a joint venture to operate an aircraft to be used for official visits by heads of state, Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius said on Thursday.
“We have started discussing a possibility to establish a joint venture with Vilnius Mayor Arturas Zuokas and Estonian Air. That new company could operate an aircraft that would provide services to our leaders," Butkevicius said in an interview with the radio station Ziniu Radijas. The aircraft would not be used exclusively by heads of state, he added.