LITHUANIAN-GERMAN CONSULTATIONS IN BERLIN FOCUS ON CHALLENGES TO LITHUANIA AND REGION’S ENERGY SECURITY
On 16 November at the bilateral consultations in Berlin, Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Egidijus Meilūnas and German officials discussed major challenges to Lithuania and the region’s energy security, ongoing energy projects, and stressed the responsible approach of the Government of Lithuania to nuclear safety.
In Berlin, E.Meilūnas met with State Secretary of the German Federal Foreign Office Emily Haber and State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology Jochen Homann.E.Meilūnas stressed Lithuania’s contribution to spheres of renewable energy, information technology, scientific research and invited German businessmen to invest in these areas.
Considerable attention was also given to important issues of the European Union: the EU responses to euro crisis, preparation for the negotiations on the EU’s Financial Perspectives (2014-2020). The Vice-Minister stressed the necessity to allocate funds from the EU budget so that the least developed member states would not be discriminated.
E.Meilūnas said that the European Commission’s proposal to reduce the financing of the closure of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant was not acceptable to Lithuania. The German representatives assured the Vice-Minister that they were willing to open a constructive dialogue aiming to arrive at a favorable for Lithuania decision.
At the meetings, the Vice-Minister also drew his interlocutors’ attention to the plans to construct two new nuclear power plants near the Lithuanian border. According to E.Meilūnas, there are doubts whether these nuclear power plants comply with international nuclear safety and environmental standards.
Germany is Lithuania’s key partner in the EU and NATO. The country is second on the list of foreign trade partners and is also third greatest investor in Lithuania.
Social media
