FOREIGN MINISTERS OF LITHUANIA AND SWEDEN WELCOMED THE EU STRATEGY FOR THE BALTIC SEA REGION
On 10 June in Stockholm, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Ušackas met with Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden Carl Bildt. The Ministers discussed key issues of the forthcoming Sweden’s EU Presidency and welcomed the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, which was launched by the European Commission on 10 June.
Adoption and implementation of this strategy will be one of the priorities of Sweden’s EU Presidency.
According to Minister V.Ušackas, the strategy and the programme of Lithuania’s Presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States complement each other and open up unique possibilities for the Baltic Sea Region to become an integrated, modern and dynamic region.
“Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region will provide possibilities to use the EU and national funds more expediently and efficiently in the areas of regional development, energy, transport, environment protection and others,” said Minister V.Ušackas.
Head of Lithuania’s diplomacy assured that Lithuania will actively contribute to the implementation of this strategy and will aim at enhancement of communications among the countries by taking up coordination of transport policy issues.
“We shall seek to guarantee that it would be faster to go from Vilnius to Warsaw by train than to fly to Chicago and that a trip from Tallinn to Berlin would not last for two days,” said Minister V.Ušackas.
Foreign Ministers of Lithuania and Sweden also discussed bilateral cooperation and relations with the EU neighbours in the East and issues of the implementation of the EU Eastern Partnership initiative. Lithuania’s Foreign Minister thanked Sweden for its support to the project of the Lithuanian-Swedish energy link that is important to all the region and expressed belief that practical works of building the link would be carried out speedily and smoothly.
In the evening of 10 June in Stockholm, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs took part in an informal dinner of the EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs, where Sweden presented its priorities of the EU Presidency.
Social media
