News

On 1 December, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Albinas Zananavičius took part in an informal meeting of the General Affairs Council via video conference, which focused on the organisation of the Conference on the Future of Europe and the EU's coordinated response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The German Presidency of the Council of the EU informed that the Conference on the Future of Europe would aim to get citizens involved in a wide-ranging debate on Europe's future in the coming decade and beyond. The conference is expected to run for two years.

Representatives of the European Youth Parliament from most EU countries, including Lithuania, also took part in a discussion on the priorities of the EU. According to the Foreign Vice-Minister Zananavičius, the EU’s economic recovery after the pandemic, strengthening resilience, the European Green Deal, and the promotion of digital competence should be among the most important issues to be addressed during the conference.

The Foreign Vice-Minister was also glad that the Lithuanian youth organisations were actively organising online discussions and preparing resolution on their vision for Europe.

Ministers also discussed the EU’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and how to improve coordination of the EU's joint effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, and to help the EU recover from the economic and social impact of the pandemic.

"Firstly, it is important to respond promptly to the European leaders’ recommendations: to achieve an agreement on a coherent approach to COVID-19 testing across Europe, to coordinate decisions, and to exchange best practices in preparing for national vaccination strategies. It is also necessary to turn the health crisis into an opportunity for developing common digital solutions to address the crisis. In addition, the EU's pandemic response also needs to be strengthened at the global level, ensuring that the vaccine is made broadly available to all," said the Vice-Minister Zananavičius.

A video conference of European Affairs Ministers will be held on 8 December. Ministers will prepare for the meeting of the European Council, discuss the EU-UK negotiations, and prepare a Joint Declaration on the EU's legislative priorities for 2021.