News

On 17 October, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis met with residents of Šilalė to discuss important issues of the European Union and the upcoming Presidency, and stressed that those Lithuanian politicians who were taking part in the negotiations on the multiannual budget of the European Union were well aware that during the talks they had to be exceptionally active.

Discussions on the EU’s financial perspective will be completed namely during Lithuania’s EU Presidency.

The Minister assured residents of Šilalė, who were raising questions about the future of the EU, that currently officials were intensively working in order to receive as much money as possible for the closing down of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant in 2014-2020, for direct payments to Lithuanian farmers and for rural development, they also aimed to avoid the reducing of the EU’s cohesion funds.

“Presidency is one of the greatest challenges that Lithuania faces after the re-establishment of independence. Our responsibility to the EU partners is to carry out our duty with care and skill. It will depend on how long we will manage to stay focused. We must be focused, because the Presidency will be our direct contribution to the EU’s future,” A.Ažubalis told the people who gathered at the library in Šilalė.

According to the Minister, a week ago, political parties signed an agreement on the Presidency, which is very encouraging and there is hope that internal conflicts will not prevent officials from completing this task successfully.

“I hope that public awareness will also be big, because having in mind the financial support that we have received during the years of our membership, and also the amount that we will need to allocate to the Presidency, it is not logical to question the necessity of holding the Presidency”, said A.Ažubalis.

The Minister reminded his listeners that financial support worth more than 46 billion Litas was allocated to Lithuania  during the periods from 2004 to 2006 and from 2007 to 2013, while an extremely cost-effective budget of the Presidency will amount to about 200 million Litas and, thus, will constitute about half of one percent of what was received.

A.Ažubalis presented to the residents of Šilalė specific examples of how the town of Šilalė had benefited from the EU’s financial support: the expansion of the wastewater treatment infrastructure, Kaltinėnai Culture Home, Šiauduva Leisure Facilities and modernization of Bijotai old school.

The Minister pointed out that when using the EU funds, about 1110 projects worth 308 million Litas have already been implemented or are still being implemented in the town of Šilalė and in the region. These projects are mostly financed from the EU funds.

The meeting in Šilalė begins series of discussions on Lithuania’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2013. The discussions are co-organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania and EU Information Centers.

On 26 October, the Minister’s next meeting will take place in Jonava.