At the Seimas’ plenary session on 28 October, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Antanas Valionis informed the parliamentarians on the course of the European Union (EU) Intergovernmental Conference and the on-going negotiations on separate issues.
According to the Lithuanian Foreign Minister, Lithuania’s position at the Intergovernmental Conference could be defined by three key principles: positive results are more important than timing; it is better to have a wider Conference agenda than a narrower one; and the issues of EU institutional reform and Common Foreign and Security Policy are of great importance.
The Lithuanian Foreign Minister acquainted the members of Parliament with the course of discussions on the issues currently debated at the Intergovernmental Conference, i.e. establishment of Legislative Council, presidency in the EU Council of Ministers, functions and status of the EU Foreign Minister, composition of the European Commission, future representation of the member states in the European Parliament, definition of qualified majority voting and its scope, and reviewed the possible solutions.
While commenting on the course of the Intergovernmental Conference, Minister Valionis also noted that the future solutions on separate issues should be assessed in the whole context of negotiation package. “As in every negotiations, we should consider the entire issue and not separate fragments,” the Minister said.
In his final statements, Minister Valionis underlined the necessity to inform the Lithuanian citizens on the future EU Constitutional Treaty on a wider basis. “Information of the society is extremely important for one more reason – the approaching elections to the European Parliament, where the Lithuanian citizens will participate for the first time,” the Minister noted.