LITHUANIAN AND LATVIAN FOREIGN MINISTERS WROTE A JOINT LETTER REGARDING THE FUTURE OF THE EU SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVES
On 14 June, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis and Latvian Foreign Affairs Minister Aivis Ronis sent a joint letter regarding the future of the European Union’s Special Representatives to Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
The letter expresses the position of Lithuania and Latvia on proposals of the High Representative regarding the reform of the activities of the EU Special Representatives.
Heads of diplomacy of two Baltic States agree that the European External Action Service, which is currently being created, should obtain greater cohesion. The ministers emphasize that the EU Special Representatives have proved to be an effective and important instrument of the EU’s external action. Therefore, Lithuania and Latvia support the goal to make their activities more efficient and functional.
According to ministers A.Ažubalis and A.Ronis, the EU Special Representatives should work together with the European External Action Service and be integrated into the service as this would help to streamline the EU’s activities in third countries.
Lithuanian and Latvian foreign ministers note in the letter, that the EU Special Representatives are an important instrument to demonstrate the EU’s concern and special focus on a particular country or a problem. Therefore it is important that the EU retains the EU Special Representatives for the wider regional or conflict related tasks.
The EU Special Representatives are appointed by the Council of the EU for a particular country, region or a particular problem. The EU Special Representatives currently in office cover the following countries and regions: Afghanistan, the African Great Lakes Region, the African Union, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Central Asia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Georgia, Kosovo, the Middle East, Moldova, the South Caucasus and Sudan.
After entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, the EU Special Representatives have to be integrated into the activities of the European External Action Service that is currently being created.
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