News

On 9 October, Undersecretary of the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Rytis Martikonis presented the country’s priorities to be discussed at the meeting of the European Union (EU) General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) scheduled on 13 October in Luxembourg, to the Ambassadors of the EU member states and candidate countries. The upcoming meeting will be attended by Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Antanas Valionis. It will adopt final decisions concerning preparations to the meeting of the European Council on 16-17 October in Brussels, where the Lithuanian delegation led by the country’s Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas will participate. At the European Council’s meeting, the state and government leaders will try to find measures that would give a positive impulse and encourage the development of the European economy, increase investments, competitiveness and integration of the EU financial markets and would also strengthen the social dimension. At the European Council, decisions to strengthen security and lawfulness in the European area as well as cooperation of the member states in the sphere of justice are to be adopted. In order to combat illegal immigration and improve safeguard of the border, adoption of decision to establish a EU border control agency, that would coordinate activities of the member states, is on the European Council’s agenda. The Lithuanian Government has forwarded a suggestion to establish a border guards’ educational centre in Lithuania, where state border guards from the region’s countries could develop their skills. As far as the reform of the European economy is concerned, at the GAERC session Antanas Valionis will present the Lithuanian Government’s position on the importance of merging of transport and energy networks for the further development of the Baltic Sea region and increase of competitiveness. On 13 October, Minister Valionis will also meet with EU Commissioner for EU Enlargement Guenther Verheugen and discuss Lithuania’s suggestions for the initiative “Wider Europe” and a report prepared by the European Commission on the implementation of commitments undertaken by the candidate countries during accession negotiations.