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At the seminar “The European Research Area: New Possibilities for Cooperation” on 16 December in Vilnius, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Vygaudas Ušackas together with members of education, science and business community of Lithuania and other European Union member states, as well as experts from the European Commission, discussed possibilities and perspectives of the country to develop scientific research, innovations and progressive technologies.

During the seminar on the European research area, Minister V.Ušackas indicated that the country’s diplomatic service would seek to present the potential of Lithuania’s science and business to the world as well as it is possible and to help realizing it in the EU market.

The Minister indicated that an active participation of Lithuania in creating the European research area was one of the European policy priorities of the new Government.

“I believe that this will be one of the most important means to deal with the latest challenges: the increase in productivity and competitiveness of our companies, the use of alternative energy resources and creation of new workplaces,” the Minister said.

The Minister noted that Lithuania would have to solve these issues under the conditions of globalization; however, he encouraged not to fear them.

“In the environment of accelerating globalization and economic integration, we have to take the permanent and dynamic changes as our natural environment, while a flexible, creative and innovative reaction to those changes has to be held an important skill of  society, as well as a prerequisite for a competitive advantage and success,” stated V. Ušackas.

According to the Minister, this is possible only by joint and coordinated efforts of science, business and diplomacy.

The Minister emphasized that the EU granted us another possibility to shift from talks to action and to unite our efforts in creating competitive Lithuania.

“I invite you to be ambitious and to set ourselves a task to find partners in the EU and to prepare concrete suggestions regarding Lithuania’s contribution to the creation of Knowledge and Innovation Communities till spring 2009,” the Minister stressed.

Communities that strengthen high education, scientific research and business ties would allow for Lithuanian science and education institutions and business companies to establish useful cooperation with the most progressive European centres of science and business, to receive funding and to create joint programmes of scientific research and its application for the market in priority areas, such as renewable energy resources and informational technologies.