News

On 14 April in Vilnius, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis presented key priorities of Lithuania’s European policy to the European Union ambassadors, who reside in Lithuania. The meeting with foreign diplomats was held at the initiative of the Spanish EU Presidency. The Minister noted that the new EU 2020 Strategy, which was currently being prepared and which would replace the Lisbon strategy, had to become the basis for the EU’s economic recovery.

“We have to apply this strategy as a tool to boost economic recovery of the EU and Lithuania, and to speed up the pace of the most important structural reforms,” head of Lithuania’s diplomacy said.

The EU 2020 Strategy for economic growth and employment should be finally approved at the European Council in June 2010. The strategy aims to help the EU recover from the economic crisis and boost knowledge-based economy, which would harness resources effectively.

During the meeting, the Minister presented Lithuania’s major energy interests to the ambassadors and highlighted the importance of implementing the Baltic Energy Interconnection Plan, as well as Lithuania’s position on the ongoing international negotiations regarding the mitigation of climate change.

The Minister also focused on the Eastern Partnership initiative and the EU-Russia relations. He stressed the importance of the EU visa regime liberalization for the countries that participate in the EU’s Eastern Partnership initiative.

The Eastern Partnership programme aims at a better cooperation and European integration of its six neighbours in the East: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. The EU develops relations with these countries on a case-by-case basis, taking into account their aspirations and progress. The Eastern Partnership initiative opens up the perspective of free trade agreements, financial assistance, aid in the area of energy supply security and visa-free travel.