News

On 28 October, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis received Irish Ambassador to Lithuania Philomena Murnaghan, who took office in September. At the meeting, the interlocutors discussed current issues in the European Union’s and bilateral agendas.

The Foreign Minister expressed satisfaction with active relations between Lithuania and Ireland when preparing to hold the chairmanships of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Presidencies of the European Union. Further cooperation perspectives were also discussed.

The Lithuanian chairmanship of the OSCE in 2011 will be succeeded by the Irish chairmanship in 2012, and in the second half-year of 2013 Lithuania will take over the EU Presidency from Ireland. Ireland, Greece and Lithuania will form the EU’s Trio Presidency from 1 January 2013 until 1 July 2014.

At the meeting, the Minister and the Ambassador discussed the issues that are important for the Lithuanian community in Ireland, including Ireland’s legal recognition of marriages that were registered at Lithuania’s Embassy in Dublin. Minister A.Ažubalis expressed trust that Ireland would solve this issue favorably for Lithuania at an early date.

Minister A.Ažubalis thanked the Ambassador for her country’s support to the European Humanities University, which is based in Vilnius. Ireland has been a long term active supporter of this Belarusian University.

The head of Lithuanian diplomacy stressed that close political and economic relations between Lithuania and Ireland were particularly important when attempting to overcome the impacts of economic recession.

In 2009, Lithuania’s trade turnover with Ireland totaled 206 million Litas. The balance of Lithuanian trade with Ireland was positive and amounted to 63 million Litas. Lithuania’s exports to Ireland reached 134 million Litas and imports made up 71 million Litas.