News

On 3 September in Vilnius, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Ušackas met with Professor Bronislaw Misztal, the Executive Director of the Permanent Secretariat of the Community of Democracies in Warsaw. During the meeting, priorities of Lithuania’s Presidency of the Community of Democracies, possibilities for cooperation with the Permanent Secretariat, other organisations and countries were discussed.

According to Minister V.Ušackas, Lithuania will attempt to review and renew the activities of working groups of the Community, to organise events in all the regions of the world with the help of other countries and to organise missions to the countries, where democracy is facing challenges. Lithuania will aim at getting European countries and organisations more involved into activities of the Community of Democracies. 

“Lithuania intends to organise joint events in cooperation with other international and regional organisations: the Alliance of Civilizations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Council of Europe, the Council of the Baltic Sea States and NATO. We shall seek to get these organisations more actively involved into joint activities,” said V.Ušackas.

During the meeting it was agreed to intensify the activities of the Community in the area of equal rights for women and in promoting good governance practices around the world, involving as much as possible the local communities, especially the youth that hold the future in their hands.

Minister V.Ušackas expressed hope that the Permanent Secretariat would contribute significantly, while aiming to achieve these shared goals. Professor B.Misztal thanked for close cooperation and affirmed that he was determined to create an active, visible and effective Community of Democracies.     

In Lithuania, the team of the Presidency of the Community of Democracies has already been formed. Ambassador-at-Large Žygimantas Pavilionis coordinates its work.