VII. FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND THE EUROPEAN POLICY

Key objectives and principles of foreign affairs and of the European policy in the global environment

145. The objectives of our foreign policy are to ensure national security from any external threat that might arise from the policies of other nations, to support democratic development in the geopolitical environment of Lithuania, to promote democratic values in the sphere of international relations and to achieve a favourable external environment for the country's safe existence.

146. We shall ensure continuity of the traditional framework of values of the Lithuanian foreign policy, based on faithfulness to freedom and democracy and the principles of truth, justice and international law.

147. We shall pursue the foreign policy as an inseparable part of the Lithuanian national security policy on the basis of national security interests and other essential national interests.

148. Emphasizing the fact that strong presence in the European Union, as one of the main ways of ensuring national security and expanding Lithuania's influence and authority, is a primary objective of the Lithuanian external and internal policies, we shall direct the efforts of all national institutions towards this objective.

149. The main priorities of the Lithuanian policy on the European Union is development of a common EU energy policy, proper functioning of the EU internal market, connection of the Lithuanian energy and transport infrastructure to the West European networks, development of science and innovation, EU eastward enlargement, and adequate evaluation of the crimes of totalitarian regimes on the EU level.

150. We shall take active part in Euro-Atlantic processes to make Lithuania a productive, loyal and responsible member of the transatlantic community.

151. Lithuania's foreign policy shall be closely linked to the national internal policy goals and interests. With active involvement in the development of the EU external and internal policies, we shall aim to create the best possible conditions for national economic development and for the improvement of the security of Lithuania's citizens as well as their well-being.

152. In our foreign policy, we shall rely on the role of Lithuania as a player in global development and, bearing in mind the conventionalities imposed by the global development processes and crises, we shall vigorously attempt to take advantage of the opportunities created by the new emerging markets and international trade flows and to respond to the challenges of global competition, human migration and others. As much as possible, we shall contribute to the efforts of the international community to expand cooperation, fight famine and poverty and climate change and find solutions to other problems.

153. In our foreign policy we shall seek prosperity of the State and its citizens through promotion of the development of economic activities, a high-level of employment and protection of the environment. Openness to trade is a prerequisite for economic growth and creation of jobs. The foreign trade policy shall support improvement and innovation and ensure fair competition.

154. We shall support the development and reinforcement of the EU-US transatlantic partnership. The long-term objective of this partnership should be the establishment of a transatlantic EU-US market as well as free movement of goods, services, capital, innovation and people.

Areas of Lithuania's European policy

155. We shall demonstrate initiative and take active part in the formation of an effective European Union policy and we shall put efforts to increase the solidarity between Europe and America in addressing the existing as well as newly emerging common threats and challenges.

156. Our aspiration shall be a European Union speaking in one voice in defence of the fundamental European values of democracy and freedom, protecting not only the common EU interests but also those of each of its members when damaged from the outside, respecting the distinctiveness of the member states, and supporting the promotion of their cultures, languages and traditions.

157. We shall promote cooperation between the citizens of the Republic of Lithuania and the citizens of other EU states in expanding professional, cultural, academic and other ties, contribute to the creation of a European public area, and provide the public with full information on the EU and the possibilities offered by EU membership.

158. We shall aim at the development and determined implementation of an effective EU energy strategy, the formation of a solidarity-based common energy policy, development of productive implementing measures for the policy as well as of a common competitive internal market in energy.

159. We shall consistently stand for the development of the EU energy, foreign and security policies, especially as regards partnership with the East and Russia, in cooperation with the USA and NATO in order to achieve a solid and effective transatlantic policy on the East and on energy; we shall also support the enhancement of Europe's defensive capacities in close cooperation with NATO, without duplicating the latter's functions and structures.

160. It would be in Lithuania's interests to have a common EU foreign and security policy, especially as regards Russia, a policy that would be strong, that would reinforce democratic values and enhance mutual trust among the partners.

161. We shall encourage ratification of the Lisbon Treaty and its implementation in the 2009-2012 period with a view to finalizing EU institutional and political reforms as soon as possible, so that the attention of the member states could be concentrated to address practical issues on the EU level.

162. We shall seek stronger positions of Lithuania in the new EU institutional set-up and greater influence in EU decision-making, so that our national interests can be raised to the EU level and thus implemented with increased efficiency.

163. We shall put every effort to enable Lithuania to take advantage of all bilateral, regional or multilateral formats within the EU to increase its influence in EU decision-making.

164. We shall pursue a selective policy as regards the strengthening of EU integration. We shall support EU regulation in the public sectors that require an integrated European infrastructure, in the ones where integration may reduce Lithuania's vulnerability to external impacts (for instance, energy, transport, monetary and financial affairs, control of borders and movement of people), also in the sectors where integration would enable Lithuania to gain competitive advantages (such as the sectors of services or the innovation policy). We shall attempt to preserve political independence in socially sensitive sectors (such as the tax policy), also in the areas where integration could detract from Lithuania's competitiveness.

165. We shall seek Lithuania's full participation in the EU economic and monetary union and make efforts to join the euro zone as soon as possible.

166. We shall support modernization of the EU social security systems with special attention to the development of a family-friendly policy.

167. We shall aim at joint action by the EU to build a competitive Europe. We shall pay special attention to the development of a free and effective internal market of the EU as well as elimination of the remaining restrictions of the internal market.

168. We shall take part in the upgrading and development of an effective European Research Area, become involved in the activities of the European Space Agency and take part in the creation of the European information society.

169. We shall support an active global role of the EU in reducing the effects of climate change and in evaluating the specific situation of states as well as common goals. We shall support EU initiatives and propose new initiatives promoting the use of environment-friendly renewable sources of energy, energy conservation, as well as research in the area of alternative energy sources.

170. We shall perform an active role in the mid-term review of the EU financial perspective 2007-2013 and in the preparation of the EU financial perspective 2014-2020; in this context, we shall seek enhanced competitiveness of the EU internal market, based on scientific development and innovation.

171. We shall actively contribute to the strengthening of the EU area of freedom, security and justice as well as effective control of the external borders.

172. Our consistent efforts shall be directed at achieving an equally strict condemnation of the German Nazi and the Soviet Communist totalitarian regimes on the EU level, pursuant to a respective European Parliament resolution of 2005. The regimes' crimes against the humanity also deserve evaluation.

Building stronger transatlantic cooperation

173. We shall follow Lithuania's constant position that NATO represents the guarantee of the security of the transatlantic community and therefore solidarity among NATO members and strengthening of the transatlantic bonds shall be treated as a vital interest of Lithuania and of Europe.

174. We shall make sure Lithuania is a responsible and active member of NATO that follows its obligations to the Alliance and contributing, according to its capabilities, to the protection of the security of the transatlantic community as well as to the fight against international terrorism.

175. We shall contribute to the efforts to ensure that Europe's defensive capacities and the whole European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) are reinforced in close cooperation with NATO without duplication of the latter's functions and structures, in compliance with the declaration by NATO and the EU on the ESDP as well as the EU-NATO agreement Berlin Plus of 17 March 2003.

176. We shall follow the view that the current European security architecture, which relies on interaction among NATO, the EU, OSCE and the Council of Europe as well as the US presence in Europe, represents the foundation of security and stability in Europe. Such a system is equipped with all the necessary means and mechanisms to ensure security in Europe, which makes the search for new alternatives unnecessary.

177. We consider the direct military presence of the USA not only in Western Europe but also in its Centre-East and Baltic regions to be an important factor adding to the security of Lithuania and the whole Europe.

178. We shall plan and, within the competence of the Seimas, ensure the participation of Lithuania's troops in international operations and missions with a special focus on the mission in Afghanistan and with a preference given to the operations and missions headed by NATO as well as the USA, a strategic partner of Lithuania. We shall continue building civil capacities enabling participation in international civil missions of the EU.

179. We shall seek inclusion into the drafted strategic and operational NATO and EU documents of the provisions regarding the evaluation of both modern threats (such as cyber terrorism or energy blackmail) and real conventional treats, in particular the ones arising along the eastern border of NATO and the EU, specifying adequate response measures to neutralize them.

Strategic partnership and regional cooperation

180. We shall maintain and develop Lithuania’s strategic partnership with the USA, Poland, Latvia and Estonia on the grounds of exclusive security interests and essential policy priorities as well as of common principles.

181. We shall maintain and develop the strategic partnership established by the US-Baltic Charter signed in 1998 which is based on the long-term strategic commitment of the USA to support democracy, stability and security of Lithuania and the other two Baltic States. Attaching special importance to this partnership, we shall motivate the new USA administration so that the partnership gains additional impulses and a more capacious content of cooperation in the field of security, and so that the employment and development of the partnership measures, including direct participation of the USA in ensuring security of Lithuania and the Baltic Region, is better.

182. We shall further develop the strategic partnership between Lithuania and Poland grounding it on common security needs of the region as well as on the interests related to European integration of the energy and transport systems, in particular to the implementation of joint infrastructure implementation, and on traditional community of European internal and external policies.

183. We shall ground the strategic partnership between Lithuania and Estonia on the four-party participation in the strategic partnership with the USA as well as on common interests related to security and defence system development, European integration of the energy and transport systems, in particular to the implementation of joint infrastructure implementation, and on coordination of European policies.

184. We shall promote cooperation of the Baltic nations – Lithuania and Latvia – in the fields of culture, education, historical heritage, etc.

185. We shall make use of the Lithuanian Presidency at the Baltic Assembly and the Baltic Council of Ministers in 2009 to achieve a higher level of consolidation of the Baltic State policies in the fields of energy, security and Eastern neighbourhood.

186. We shall stick to the position that the multilateral strategic partnership with the EU and NATO states – the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, etc. – is rather institutionalised according to the structure of these organisations. Partnership with the above-mentioned countries as well as with Scandinavian and Benelux countries shall be equally important for Lithuania. We shall endeavour to strengthen partnership equally with all of them through the best possible use of forms and means of the cooperation with NATO and the EU, also forms and means of the traditional bilateral cooperation.

187. Special significance shall be attached to closer inter-regional cooperation of the Baltic and Nordic States (5+3) aiming at better representation of the common interests inside and outside the EU and NATO.

188. We consider the cooperation of the Baltic and Nordic States in the field of energy, in particular the development of the common electricity market within the interests of both regions, to be very important. We shall promote closer cooperation with the Nordic countries in the field of security and defence contributing to the security of the whole European and Atlantic area, inter alia, developing the content of cooperation within the existing e-PINE initiative. 

189. We shall strengthen the role of Lithuania as an active state of the Baltic Sea Region by making use of the Lithuanian Presidency at the Council of the Baltic Sea States in 2009-2010 and taking an active part in the development and implementation of the EU Baltic Sea strategy. We shall promote regional cooperation of the Baltic Sea States in the fields of energy, transport, environment, cultural heritage protection, tourism development and strengthening of human relations, and we shall involve the Kaliningrad Oblast of the Russian Federation and Belarus into this cooperation.

Eastern neighbourhood policy of Lithuania

190. We shall further strengthen the relations of the European Union with the Eastern neighbours of the EU and we shall support the efforts to develop an efficient Eastern neighbourhood policy aiming at the development of integration relations between the EU and the Eastern neighbours.

191. As members of the EU and NATO, we shall continue undertaking the initiative and pursue an active EU and NATO Eastern neighbourhood policy through the cooperation with the states of those organisations. Lithuania shall support the efforts of Ukraine and Georgia to prepare for and to become as soon as possible the members of NATO, as well as the EU integration efforts of Ukraine, Moldova and South Caucasus. The inclination of Armenia and Azerbaijan to the EU would allow expecting a peaceful solution of their territorial conflict.

192. We shall promote and actively contribute to the EU and NATO efforts to develop and strengthen partnership with the Central Asia and the Caspian States, in particular with regard to global security and energy, and to render the EU support to the democratic development of those states.

193. We shall support integration of Belarus into the European structures in line with the efforts of the Belarus Government to get closer to the European democracy standards, and we shall support the democratic movement and initiatives of Belarus aimed at the creation of conditions of viable and free society.

194. We shall further support the integration efforts of the states that have chosen the way of democratic development and that aim at the NATO partnership or the EU and NATO membership, and we shall share our experience with them.

195. We shall support relations of youth, academic world and public servants with the Eastern neighbours and we shall strengthen analytical capacities of Lithuania with regard to the East.

196. We shall support the efforts of Georgia and Moldova to maintain the integrity of their sovereign territories and to get free from the Russian troops that keep staying in their territory without their free consent and to get back the broken away parts of the territory. We shall promote the active EU policy aiming at faster solution of this problem.

197. We shall endeavour that the negotiations that are going to be started between the EU and Russia concerning the new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement are held under the mandate previously approved by the EU and also considering its annexes proposed by the Member States and approved by the EU and that the negotiations deal in a complex way with all the problems formulated during the debate related to the mandate; we shall also endeavour at full fulfilment of all Russia’s obligations with regard to pulling its troops from Georgia and Moldova to further guarantee territorial integrity of those states following the international law.

198. By political dialogue and diplomatic means we shall contribute to the protection of and representation to the legal business interests of Lithuania in the area of Eastern neighbourhood, so that Lithuanian business entities have equal business conditions and equally favourable environment for their investment. We shall discuss with Lithuanian business the best ways to protect its interests abroad but, still, the governmental policy and foreign policy will be protected against non-transparent lobbying interests and influences. In particular, we shall take care that non-democratic states do not make use of such influences and refrain from making influence on the governmental policy through business.

199. We shall promote development of democracy in Russia’s neighbourhood, contributing to the stability and security of the whole region.

Policy on Russia

200. We shall aim at an open dialogue with Russia, good neighbourhood and mutual trust based on democratic values, truth and justice, and respect for universally recognised international law principles and adherence to the international obligations. We shall promote mutually useful trade relations as well as economic cooperation relations that do not prejudice the national security interests.

201. We shall devote special attention to direct relations and cooperation with the Kaliningrad Oblast of the Russian Federation, and we shall promote and support its development, opening and cooperation with the European Union, in particular in the context of 2009 Lithuanian Presidency at the Council of the Baltic Sea States. We shall consider possibilities to restore the visa free regime for the residents of the Kaliningrad Oblast to stimulate their relations with Lithuania.

202. We shall take an active part in the review processes of the EU and NATO policy with regard to Russia by stimulating a constructive dialogue of trans-Atlantic community and Russia based on democratic values and encouraging positive development of Russia towards democratically developing society and towards the government acting under the democratically accepted principles.

203. We shall go on grounding Lithuania’s bilateral relations on the Agreement of 29 July 1991, and on the provision of that Agreement concerning the increase of mutual trust in solving the issues related to the adjustment of the outcome of the occupation and annexation carried out by the USSR, also considering obligations of Russia to the Council of Europe concerning compensations to persons deported from the Baltic States and to their descendants.

204. We shall coherently endeavour, also acting on the EU level, that Russia cooperates in the matters of January 13 and the Medininkai massacre so that the persons accused with these crimes who are hiding in Russia are prosecuted.

205. We shall support democracy development processes in Russia by encouraging relations of public organisations with Russia’s human right protectors and democratic forces, especially youth and academic layers, so that the grounds are created for successful future cooperation with democratic and friendly Russia.

Specific tasks of Lithuanian diplomacy in 2009-2012

206. With the help of our relations with the Western and other concerned Member States, we shall get ready for the Lithuanian Presidency at OSCE in 2011. In 2009 we will seek for better inter-institutional coordination while preparing for the OSCE Presidency. During presidency we shall seek for as considerable as possible progress in the field of democracy development and human rights in the OSCE area as well as issues related to the regulation of conflicts and their outcomes in the Southern Caucasus and Moldova that have not been settle for many years.

207. One of the exclusive tasks of the Lithuanian diplomacy in 2012 is proper preparation for the Lithuanian Presidency at the EU Council in 2013. We shall create efficient domestic preparation structures, strengthen capacities of political coordination of the EU matters, and, if necessary, we shall review the national model of coordination of the EU matters taking account of the EU development tendencies and the importance of common and efficient foreign policy implementation.

208. We shall improve the policy of diplomatic service staff so that diplomatic service contains uncompromised persons of flawless reputation and so that the procedures for the appointment of diplomatic representatives are transparent and the principle of regular rotation is observed without any exceptions.

209. We shall encourage and support activities of national experts in European and international institutions and their election to the leading positions. One of the main diplomacy tasks of this period is good preparation of public institutions and fruitful participation in arranging the review of the EU financial perspective seeking that it would be able to increase the competitiveness of Lithuania’s economy, to implement the strategic energy projects and to modernise the agricultural sector.

210. We shall use more active diplomacy by encouraging foreign investment and export endeavouring to help Lithuanian business to compete in the global economy and joining skills and activities of institutions (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economy) active in this field. Closely cooperating with the associated business structures we shall promote the development of economic relations not only with traditional partners (yhe EU, Russia, Ukraine, the USA, etc.) but also with China, India, Near East, Latin America and emerging economies.

211. We shall get ready for the negotiations concerning accession to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Membership of this organisation will contribute to the economy growth, employment stimulation as well as to well-being and financial stability of citizens.

212. We shall support free trade development in the world, conclusion of bilateral free trade agreements between the European Union and the third countries, giving priority to the major trade partners of Lithuania.

213. Considering a large number of citizens of the Republic of Lithuania who work and live abroad, we shall improve consular services as follows: we shall refuse redundant requirements, introduce new technologies, etc. Supporting preservation of identity of Lithuanians who live abroad, formation of Lithuanian emigration communities and maintenance of the Lithuanian language, history and traditions, target programmes shall be prepared and remote learning possibilities shall be developed. 

214. Taking the attitude that we are the same nation that unites Lithuanians who live both in Lithuania and in diaspora, we shall develop and start implementing the strategy of the Global Lithuania, i.e. inclusion of the emigration into the public life and adaptation of the complex national policy of Lithuania to the globalisation conditions.

215. We shall fully promote cultural diplomacy and culture exchange.

216. We shall fully promote preservation of European level cultural and historical heritage of the Great Duchy of Lithuania and we shall support bilateral cooperation in order to implement that. We shall support preservation and cherishing of cultural and historical heritage of Lithuania in the Eastern area and the Kaliningrad Oblast.

217. We shall endeavour, on the basis of bilateral and multilateral agreements, to get back cultural and historical values illegally exported from Lithuania.

218. On the basis of Lithuania’s Modern Identity Formation Strategy approved by the Government and the National Agreement approved by the Parliament, we shall create the long-term national programme for the formation of Lithuania’s image abroad.

219. We shall strengthen institutional information and analytical capacities of the country necessary for the successful implementation of foreign policy.

220. To raise awareness of the public on the issues of Lithuanian and international foreign and security policy, we shall establish a forum open for the public for regular discussions of the members of non-governmental institutions and public organisations.

221. We shall support investigations and assessments of crimes of nazi and soviet occupation regimes, we shall encourage the started assessment of the totalitarian regimes on the EU level, the commemoration of the holocaust victims, and, due to its approaching 70th anniversary, we shall pursue the international assessment of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in Lithuania and abroad.

Full text of the Programme