News

On 30-31 March in Bremen (Germany) Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Petras Vaitiekūnas participated in the Informal Meeting of the European Union Foreign Affairs Ministers (Gymnich) and speaking on the European Neighbourhood Policy indicated that the EU has to make use of the available attraction potential comprehensively, actively stimulate and support the reform processes in the neighbour countries.

“The European Union has to promote the economic integration and, first of all,  by creating a free trade zone,” said Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The Head of Lithuanian Diplomacy also remarked that it was necessary to encourage direct people-to-people contacts. The facilitation of visa regime with neighbour countries, especially Belarus, Georgia and Moldova, according to Minister P.Vaitiekūnas, has to become a priority of the European Neighbourhood Policy.

Minister of Foreign Affairs P.Vaitiekūnas also highlighted that it was important for the EU to become more intensively involved in the solution of frozen regional conflicts within the Eastern neighbourhood, as well as in energy cooperation strengthening within the neighbourhood.

The EU Foreign Ministers in Bremen adopted Joint Declaration assuring the UK Government of their solidarity and calling for immediate and unconditional release of 15 British citizens arrested in Iraqi waters.

In Bremen Minister P.Vaitiekūnas also participated in the Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Vyshegrad Group countries, the Baltic States and Romania, where negotiations with the USA concerning visa-free regime for the citizens of the Vyshegrad Group countries and the Baltic States were discussed. During the meeting Ministers endorsed a statement on further cooperation among the countries pursuing the introduction of visa-free regime as soon as possible.

P.Vaitiekūnas met with the Foreign Ministers of Poland, Latvia and Estonia individually and discussed further cooperation between the Baltic States and Poland in the area of energy.

During the Informal Meeting of the EU Foreign Ministers the issues of the West Balkans and the Middle East peace process were also discussed.