News

On 5 September, the kick-off meeting of Lithuania’s newly established inter-institutional EU “Global Gateway” Coordination Group took place.

Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Sigitas Mitkus underlined that Lithuania has decided to strengthen its engagement in the EU’s “Global Gateway” initiative, which aims to mobilise up to €300 billion in public and private investment by 2027.

“Our team, composed of representatives from state institutions and business, will coordinate this work. It will identify opportunities abroad for Lithuanian companies, propose solutions for new financial instruments, and foster partnerships with EU institutions, Member State organisations, businesses from partner countries, and international financial institutions,” Vice-Minister Mitkus said.

The Coordination Group brings together representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Economy and Innovation, Environment, Energy and Transport, as well as from the Innovation Agency, the Central Project Management Agency, the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists, the Lithuanian Business Confederation, and the LINPRA and Infobalt associations. Other institutions and organisations will join as needed.

“This initiative is more than an increase in number of projects, participating companies or financial figures – it is an opportunity for Lithuania to be an active part of the EU team, to drive change worldwide, and at the same time strengthen our own economy. We will seek to ensure that Lithuanian business and institutions are visible, competitive and contribute to global solutions. We want to make sure that these processes bring benefits both to our partners abroad and to the people of Lithuania – more jobs, stronger exports and a more resilient industry,” Vice-Minister Mitkus stressed.

One of the first flagship “Global Gateway” projects in which Lithuanian companies are already taking part is the “North-East Brazil green energy parks and green shipping corridors” initiative – a clear example of how Lithuanian expertise and ideas can contribute to the global green transition.

The “Global Gateway” initiative aims to combine development cooperation, trade and investment in order to build sustainable, reliable and high-quality infrastructure and foster economic prosperity worldwide. It covers five priority areas – the digital economy, climate and energy, transport, health, and education – and is underpinned by principles of quality, transparency and trusted partnerships. The European Commission seeks to launch a new phase of the strategy, moving from initial steps towards large-scale implementation.