News

On 29 March Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Petras Vaitiekūnas welcomed President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso, who is on the working visit to Lithuania for the first time.

During a short conversation, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the President of the European Commission discussed the European Union’s relations with neighbour states paying special attention to the issue of Belarus.

The President of the European Commission stated that he highly appreciated Lithuanian’s role and its suggestions on the European Union’s relations with Belarus.

During the meeting the officials agreed that the goal of the European Union is stable and democratic Belarus. The European Commission is ready to initiate a new, more active policy regarding Belarus, if Belarus proves its openness to Europe with its actions and not just talks about it.

The officials discussed the issue of political prisoners’ release, including A.Kozulin, as the clearest evidence proving that Belarus is ready to start a dialogue.

Minister P.Vaitiekūnas also welcomed the European Commission’s initiative to start discussing issues of energy security with Belarus.

During the two days long visit to Lithuania, President of the European Commission J.M.Barroso will meet with President of the Republic of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus, Speaker of the Seimas Viktoras Muntianas, Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas and will give a speech at the international symposium dedicated to mark the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. The President of the European Commission will also participate in the opening of the exhibition “The Old Lithuania”.

After the meeting Minister P.Vatiekūnas departed from Vilnius International Airport to Bremen (Germany) to participate in an informal EU Foreign Ministers Meeting (Gymnich).