News

On 21 November in Dublin Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Petras Vaitiekūnas met the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ireland Dermot Ahern and discussed the issues related to Lithuanian community in Ireland. At the moment about 100 thousand Lithuanian citizens who have emigrated over the last few years live in Ireland. Minister Vaitiekūnas underlined that Lithuania seeks to maintain the strongest possible ties with Lithuanians in Ireland, promote Lithuanian nationality, encourage teaching Lithuanian at schools.  Lithuanian Minister asked the Irish for help in solving one of the most serious problems for Lithuanian Community in Ireland – finding premises for the Community and Lithuanian schools.

Lithuanian and Irish Foreign Ministers paid special attention to the EU neighbourhood policy, particularly the situation in Belarus and EU-Russia relations.

Talking about the EU energy policy the Ministers agreed that more solidarity among the EU members on this issue is necessary.

Mr Vaitiekūnas and Mr Ahern also discussed the enlargement of the Schengen and the Euro zones, the EU working time directive, the future of the EU Constitutional Treaty. 

The Head of Lithuanian Diplomacy informed his Irish counterpart about Lithuania’s preparations for the EU Presidency. Lithuanian Minister asked the Irish to be special partners and help Lithuania to prepare for the presidency in the best way. Lithuania will hold the presidency of the EU in 2013 together with Ireland and Greece.

During the visit of Minister Vaitiekūnas to Ireland teleconference equipment that connects Lithuanian Embassy in Dublin to the Foreign Ministry of Lithuania has been tested.

In Ireland Lithuanian Foreign Minister also met the members of Lithuanian and Irish business association, encouraged the businessmen to invest more actively in Lithuania. At the moment there are more than 400 successful Lithuanian enterprises in Ireland.

The meetings with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin, Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform Frank Fahey, representatives of the Committee for Foreign Affairs of the Parliament of Ireland were also held during Lithuanian Minister’s visit.