News

On 27-28 August, the Informal Meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in Berlin discussed prospects for the EU-Russia relationship and ways to decrease the eastern Mediterranean tensions.

When discussing Russia, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius stressed that the EU’s actions towards Russia should not change as long as Russia continued its aggressive foreign policy towards neighboring countries and other countries, did not comply with requirements of international law, and increased the repression of Kremlin critics.

“The potential poisoning of the Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny sets another example of how the Kremlin responds to democratic trends in the country. The methods are shocking, but they never change. The entire international community has already called for a transparent investigation by Russia," said L. Linkevičius.

Lithuania’s Foreign Minister also urged his EU counterparts to remain consistent and to maintain a balanced, reality-based approach to Russia, while the five guiding principles of the EU Russia’s policy should remain the basis of these relations.

“Perhaps everyone will agree that we are not ready to cooperate more closely with Russia on cyber security or hybrid threats, especially when it uses namely these instruments to constantly attack the EU?” said L. Linkevičius.

According to the Foreign Minister, the implementation of the most ambitious EU Eastern Partnership Policy and active support for democratic aspirations in the region are the best ways to counterbalance Russia’s behavior.

The EU Foreign Ministers also discussed the situation in the eastern Mediterranean, expressed their full solidarity with Greece and Cyprus, and condemned Turkey’s unilateral actions that were escalating tensions in the region. On behalf of the three Baltic states, L. Linkevičius voiced his support for the effort by the High Representative of the European Union Josep Borrell and the German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs to mediate a thaw between Greece and Turkey, and stressed the importance of de-escalation in the region.

"Turkey is an important partner in addressing issues related to security, terrorist threats, migration, and refugees. Our goal is a strategic dialogue with the NATO ally Turkey, so let us avoid actions that exacerbate tensions," said L. Linkevičius.

Photos: Auswaertiges Amtphotothek – 2