News

On 17 April, Lithuanian Vice-Ministers of Foreign Affairs – Egidijus Meilūnas and Vytautas Leškevičius – and Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills of the United Kingdom Vince Cable discussed the situation of the internal market of the European Union, talks on the new multiannual financial framework for the EU and potential for regional Nordic-Baltic-U.K. cooperation.

The meeting held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that Lithuania and the United Kingdom were partners committed to cooperating closely within the European Union, regularly discussing and coordinating their positions on key issues of the agenda.

Moreover, the Vice-Ministers highlighted the increasing interest of the United Kingdom in the Nordic-Baltic region.  The participants of the meeting also agreed on the further development of regional cooperation.

The internal market of the EU, potential ways to improve its functioning and talks on the EU financial perspective 2014-2020 were among the most important topics discussed by Lithuanian and United Kingdom officials.

Leškevičius drew Cable’s attention to Lithuania’s concerns for adequate financing of the closure of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant.

Meilūnas and Cable also discussed the on-going EU talks on trade liberalization with third countries. The Vice-Minister stressed that the talks should ensure the mutuality principle so that EU exporters could enjoy equal rights in terms of competing.

U.K. State Secretary came to Vilnius at the invitation of Lithuanian Minister of Economy Rimantas Žylius to participate in the meeting of 15 EU like-minded member states which speak up for reforms. The meeting aims to come to an agreement on the most important means for the improvement of the functioning of the EU internal market.