News

On 9 February, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Ušackas met with advisor to the President of France Jean-David Levitte and Minister of State for European Affairs Bruno Le Maire. During the meetings, J.D.Levitte and B.Le Maire expressed solidarity with Lithuania concerning its goals to integrate energy sector into the common EU energy system and to diversify provision of energy supplies.

They approved of the European Commission’s suggestion to allot 175 million euros to finance the building of the energy link between Sweden and the Baltic States from the budget of Europe’s Economic Revival Plan.

Minister V.Ušackas informed that a common position with Sweden and Latvia is about to be agreed regarding the creation of a single energy market of the Baltic States and the route of the future cable. He indicated that Lithuania was prepared to start implementing the project of energy link with Sweden immediately.

Minister V.Ušackas and Minister of State for European Affairs B.Le Maire spoke about the necessity to equally capacitate the crediting of commercial banks, not discriminating the EU countries and independently of the countries’ of origin of the banks, also to assure a simpler and swifter distribution of the EU funds and support to businesses.

During the meeting, it was agreed to support the suggestion of the German and French leaders for the Czech EU Presidency to call a European Council meeting on the issue of the economy revival in the nearest future.

This visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs starts a strategic dialogue between Lithuania and France on the issues of the EU economy revival, energy security, transatlantic relations and the EU relations with Russia, as well as the neighbourhood in the East.

Today head of the Lithuanian diplomacy is also holding a meeting with French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Bernard Kouchner.