News

On 29-30 January in Prague, the Czech Republic, during the informal meeting of the EU Development Ministers, Undersecretary of Lithuania’s  Ministry of Foreign Affairs Evaldas Ignatavičius invited the participants to dedicate more attention to the Eastern dimension in the EU development cooperation policy and to the promotion of democratic governance in the Eastern neighbourhood countries.

“We think that principles of the EU neighbourhood policy – democracy, human rights and the rule of law – will significantly contribute to dispersion of principles of democratic governance. Lithuania will continue to accentuate the significance of democratic governance principles within its development cooperation policy for neighbouring countries in the East,” said E.Ignatavičius.

Undersecretary of Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that  in the countries of the EU neighbourhood in the East, development cooperation promoted democracy and good governance, contributed to the creation of free trade zones, anticipated diversification of energy sources, therefore, would help these countries to implement necessary reforms and would concurrently guarantee stability and closeness with the EU.

During the meeting, the impact of the financial and economic crisis on developing countries and the accessibility to sustainable energy sources in developing countries were discussed.

Ministers also discussed the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.