News

On 19 September in New York Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Petras Vaitiekūnas discussed with his EU counterparts such issues as the conflict in the Middle East, dialogue with  Iran, situation in Sudan as well as forthcoming meetings with Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergej Lavrov and the U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Minister Vaitiekūnas underlined the necessity of constructive cooperation on energy issues between the EU and Russia and the importance of effective assistance in settlement of “frozen conflicts”.

The Head of Lithuanian Diplomacy also took part in the EU foreign ministers’ meeting with the President of Palestinian National Authority Mahmoud Abbas, and met the Foreign Minister of Ukraine Boris Tarasiuk. Ukrainian Minister  thanked Lithuania for supporting Ukraine’s integration into transatlantic structures, invited Minister Vaitiekūnas to visit Ukraine in October and confirmed Ukraine’s invitation to the President of Lithuania make an official visit to Ukraine in the nearest future.

Minister Tarasiuk assured that the new Ukrainian Government and the President of Ukraine who is directly responsible for state’s foreign and security policy would continue to strive for integration into Western structures and to carry out necessary reforms.

Ukrainian and Lithuanian foreign ministers also addressed bilateral cooperation in energy sphere and in international forums. Minister Tarasiuk thanked Lithuania for supporting GUAM’s initiative to put the issue of the “frozen conflicts” on the UN General Assembly’s agenda.

Minister Vaitiekūnas also met with representatives of different U.S. Jewish organisations. The participants of the meeting touched upon the issues of restitution of Jewish common and personal property, fight against anti-Semitism and intolerance, the fate of former Jewish cemetery in Šnipiškės.