Lithuania Appoints Oil Terminal Firm CEO as Energy Minister

Lithuania President Dalia Grybauskaite has appointed the chief executive of oil terminal company Klaipedos Nafta (XIC.F) as the country's energy minister, the president's office said on Monday.

Rokas Masiulis, 45, replaces Jaroslav Neverovic who was dismissed in August amid disagreements with Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius over appointment of a deputy energy minister.

Majority state-owned Klaipedos Nafta operates an oil import-export terminal and is building a liquefied natural gas (LNGLF) (LNG) terminal which is expected to open in December.

The LNG terminal is a part of the Baltic state's efforts to reduce its energy dependence on its former Soviet master, Russia, which currently supplies all of the country's natural gas.

(Reporting by Andrius Sytas, writing by Nerijus Adomaitis; editing by Jason Neely)