News

On 16 January, the Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevičius, who is visiting the Vatican City and Italy, met with Italy’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Emma Bonino. The meeting discussed important issues related to the European Union and the United Nations, the bilateral cooperation in the fields of security policy and military, the commercial and economic partnership.

The Italian Minister congratulated L.Linkevičius on successful Presidency of the EU Council and wished Lithuania to serve effectively on the United Nations Security Council. The Foreign Ministers agreed to hold bilateral expert consultations on issues related to the UN.

L.Linkevičius thanked the Foreign Minister for Italy’s participation in NATO’s Steadfast Jazz 2013 exercise and for the country’s commitment in regards to the air policing mission in Lithuania in 2015. The Lithuanian Foreign Minister requested Italy to support Lithuania’s accession to the euro zone during Italy’s future Presidency of the EU Council, starting on 1 July 2014.

The Lithuanian Foreign Minister also acquainted his Italian counterpart with the experience in implementing the Eastern Partnership programme and expressed hope that this matter would be given due attention during the Italian EU Presidency.

The Ministers of the two countries hailed the good and intense bilateral relationship, growing trade turnover and agreed to continue the close cooperation on all levels.