News

On 22 March during the presentation organized in the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ambassadors of NATO countries accredited in Lithuania were acquainted with preparation for the informal meeting of NATO ministers of foreign affairs on 20-21 April in Vilnius. As Lithuanian Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis stated during the event, this would be the first informal NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting to be held outside Brussels. According to the Minister, the meeting is to be attended by the foreign ministers of 26 Alliance’s member states, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, NATO's military leaders, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana. A.Valionis maintained that in total about 600 official participants and about 500 media representatives are expected to come to Vilnius. NATO foreign ministers are going to discuss topical security policy issues, the future of the Alliance, current NATO operations and Alliance’s relations with partner states. Meetings of the NATO-Russia Council and NATO-Ukraine Commission are planned on the same days in the capital of Lithuania. The meeting will be held in the Reval Hotel Lietuva and the Media Centre will be established in the Forum Palace. Ministerial working lunch will take place in the Presidential Palace and official reception will be held in Vilnius Town Hall. The meeting will coincide not only with first anniversary of Lithuania’s NATO membership, but also with fifth anniversary of “Vilnius Ten” initiative, which created the preconditions for NATO enlargement. More information on the event can be found on the meeting’s web page.