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On 24 April in Brussels, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius met with Members of the European Parliament and European Commissioners, and pointed out that the European Union must promote reforms in the Eastern Partnership countries in the run-up to the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius.

“The mere fact that the European Union leaders are discussing Eastern Partnership and committing themselves to help the countries to implement reforms is a positive result of the forthcoming summit already. It will also be a good and important outcome of the Summit, if we will come up with a common strategy of the European Union on Eastern Partnership,” Linkevičius said.

Along with the Prime Minister and nine other ministers, Linkevičius attended a circuit government meeting. The Lithuanian Foreign Minister met with the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament Elmar Brok, the European Commissioner for Financial Programming and the Budget Algirdas Šemeta, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmström, and the Vice-President of the European Commission Siim Kallas.

According to the Lithuanian Foreign Minister, the EU is moving towards targeted Eastern Partnership objectives. The Minister stressed that it was important for Ukraine to sign an association and free trade agreement with the European Union at the 3rd Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius on 28 and 29 November, if the EU would hold the country’s reform progress sufficient. It is expected that negotiations on association and free trade agreements will be concluded with Armenia, Georgia and Moldova, and that there would be some progress in initialling the agreements.

“Ambitious internal reforms and European aspirations of Eastern Neighbourhood countries depend on the successful cooperation between the EU and the Eastern Partnership countries, Linkevičius said.

During the meeting with Brok, who chairs a European Parliament’s Working Group on the Vilnius Summit, Linkevičius stressed the role of the European Parliament in implementing the EU’s Neighbourhood Policy and expressed hope to secure the support of the Members of the European Parliament in the run-up to the Summit.

The head of Lithuania’s diplomacy also met with Šemeta to discuss one of the priorities of Lithuania’s incoming Presidency of the EU Council – the effective protection of the external borders of the EU. Lithuania has one of the longest external land borders of the EU, so it is especially important for the country to strengthen fight against smuggling.

The Minister met with the European Commissioner for Home Affairs Malmström to discuss Lithuania’s preparation for the Presidency and the country’s plans to focus on smart borders - a better management of the EU’s external borders and better protection – and on cyber security. Linkevičius stressed that it was necessary to facilitate visa regime with the Eastern Partnership countries as soon as possible.

On 23 April, the head of Lithuania’s diplomacy also met with members of the European Parliament’s observation mission in Ukraine, former President of the European Parliament Pat Cox, and former Polish President Alexander Kwaśniewski. During the meeting, the officials agreed to coordinate activities and exchange information.