On 29 January, Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Vytautas Leškevičius met with Romanian Ambassador to Lithuania Dan Balanescu. At the meeting, the Vice-Minister stressed the need to strengthen bilateral dialogue in the context of Lithuania’s forthcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Leškevičius said that the priorities of Lithuania’s Presidency of the EU Council - financial stability, smart growth, open and safe Europe, energy security, Eastern Neighbourhood Policy, the protection of the EU’s external borders, and the development of macro-regional strategies – were very important also to Romania.

Balanescu noted that Lithuania and Romania had staked out very similar positions on many issues, related to international policy. The Ambassador offered to further actively coordinate the positions of the two countries on priority issues for EU policy and to continue successful cooperation in the field of transatlantic policy.

The meeting discussed negotiations on the Multiannual Financial Framework for 2014-2020. According to Leškevičius, European member states must find a well-balanced and fair compromise in the short run. Balanescu stressed that the interests of Lithuania and Romania with regard to the long-term budget were very similar; therefore, both countries should support each other in an effort to achieve a compromise acceptable to all the member states.

Leškevičius stressed that the solidarity of Romania and other EU member states relating to the common nuclear safety policy of the European Union in the EU’s neighbourhood was especially important for Lithuania.

The Vice-Minister also invited Romania to participate in the EU’s 3rd Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius this November at highest political level.

Romanian Ambassador Balanescu has resided in Vilnius since the end of 2012. The Ambassador presented his letters of credence to the President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė on 7 December 2012.