IN NEW YORK, L.LINKEVIČIUS GIVES SPEECH ON BEHALF OF EU ON ARMS TRADE, SIGNS COMMUNIQUE ON ESTABLISHMENT OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH PALAU
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius gave a speech in the name of the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton at a High-level Event “The Arms Trade Treaty: Towards Entry into Force” during a special session of the UN General Assembly on 25 September in New York.
He expressed his belief that the new Arms Trade Treaty, which was adopted after seven years of negotiations, would contribute to more accountability and transparency in global conventional weapons trade and would help to curb illicit trafficking in arms.
Currently, it is of paramount importance to make sure that the treaty enters into force as early as possible 
and that as many countries as possible accede to it and effectively implement it. Countries with arms trade control capacity and expertise are invited to help develop control systems which would meet the criteria of the treaty. Countries which have not yet signed the treaty are invited to join it. Lithuania signed the treaty on 3 June 2013 and is preparing to ratify it.
On the same day, L.Linkevičius and the President of Palau Thomas Remengesau signed a communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations between Lithuania and Palau.
The meeting between L.Linkevičiaus and the Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu-Bakr Abdullah Al-Qirbi also discussed issues related to bilateral and multilateral cooperation as well as support to Lithuanian’s bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
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