News

On 28-29 April in Helsinki, Political Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Eitvydas Bajarūnas and Political Directors of Foreign Ministries of Estonia, Denmark, Iceland, Latvia, Norway, Finland, Sweden and the United States of America discussed important political issues, including cooperation in the Baltic Sea region and relations with the European Union’s neighbours in the East.

The Enhanced Partnership in Northern Europe (E-PINE) meeting focused on initiatives strengthening relations with Belarus, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine and the EU Eastern Partnership initiative, the situation in North Africa, the Middle East, Afghanistan and other issues.

E-PINE is a cooperation initiative of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and the U.S.A., dedicated to the strengthening of the U.S. relations with the Baltic and Nordic countries.

According to E.Bajarūnas, the U.S., Baltic and Nordic cooperation complies with Lithuania’s objectives to enhance security and stability in the Baltic Sea region and to contribute to the boosting of economy and development of the energy sector in the region.

“E-PINE format presents a possibility for the affinity group to exchange information on issues that comply with strategic objectives of the EU and NATO, and are in line with our interests of the broader context. At this meeting I feel that we have achieved a consensus on the continuation of this cooperation,” Political Director E.Bajarūnas said.

He acquainted the assembled with current issues of Lithuania’s Chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and invited countries of the Community of Democracies to participate in the final ministerial conference of Lithuania’s Presidency on 1 July in Vilnius.

As the country which will coordinate E-PINE agenda and will chair meetings of this partnership next year, Lithuania presented the E-PINE meeting plans for 2012.

On 29 April in Helsinki, Director of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science of Vilnius University took part in the round-table discussion that was organized by political science institutions of E-PINE countries.