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Vice-Minister of Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Asta Skaisgirytė Liauškienė took part in the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council’s (EAPC) Security Forum that was held on 24-25 June in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.

Delegations from 28 NATO member countries and 22 NATO partner countries attended the meeting.

During the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council’s Security Forum, NATO members and partner countries discussed the most important issues of security policy. Energy security issues, the situation in Afghanistan and common security issues in Central Asia and the Caucasus were high on the agenda of the meeting.

In her speech on energy security and prospects for public and private partnership, the Vice-Minister of Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that in the sphere of energy security the priority should be given to energy resources diversification.

“Diversification of energy sources is the key for energy security. In this regard, Lithuania sees Caspian and Black Sea region as one of the most viable partners, which potential at the moment is not duly used. Today we have an opportunity to come closer to the vision of the area of greater security between Europe and the Black and Caspian countries by implementing concrete energy projects. The priority should be given to the projects that help to diversify energy supplies,” said A.Skaisgirytė Liauškienė.

The diplomat also highlighted that Lithuania was considering a possibility to open a Centre for Energy Security, which would be a research centre accredited by NATO and would deepen and develop possibilities for a dialogue and research in this area.

On 24 June, A.Skaisgirytė-Liauškienė also met with Kazakhstan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Konstantin Zhigalov. During the meeting, preparation of Lithuania and Kazakhstan to chair the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), possibilities for cooperation in Afghanistan and other important issues of bilateral and multilateral cooperation were discussed.

Lithuania will chair the OSCE in 2011 and Kazakhstan in 2010.