News

On 26 January in Brussels, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Ušackas took part in the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council meeting, during which most attention was dedicated to the discussion on the EU energy security and issues of the EU relations with its neighbours in the East.

During the Council meeting, Minister V.Ušackas indicated that seeking to increase the EU energy security, it was necessary to consolidate the political will and to make urgent practical decisions.

According to him, the EU energy strategy has to be implemented in four main directions: first, to develop the EU internal energy infrastructure links; second, to strengthen competitiveness in the EU internal market; third, to increase the transparency, while concluding energy agreements with the third countries; fourth is to diversify energy supply sources. In the opinion of Minister V.Ušackas, the priority has to be given to the integration of isolated markets, such as Lithuania’s, into the EU energy system.

“Ensuring alternative provision of energy resources and reducing the dependency on the monopoly of provision should be not only sounding slogans, but also concrete work, based on clear financing. I hope that the EU will duly support the priority project for Lithuania of the Baltic-Swedish energy link,” said head of Lithuania’s diplomacy.

While discussing relations with Russia, Minister V.Ušackas indicated that during the negotiations on the new agreement with Russia, energy affairs should receive special attention. According to Minister V.Ušackas, the new agreement should guarantee transparent and reliable relations between the EU and Russia in the area of energy, which would be based on the principles of the Energy Charter.

The Minister also drew attention to the fact that Russia’s Kaliningrad Region should become an important topic in the EU-Russia dialogue.

“I think that the Kaliningrad Region is the region, which naturally joins the EU and Russia. We share interests in this region: economic and social development of the region, cooperation in the areas of environment protection, law and order system, transport and other areas; therefore, it is necessary to use this fact. We have to make better use of the economic relations potential, to deepen direct people-to-people contacts, the liberalisation of visa regime for the residents of Kaliningrad would add to this,” said V. Ušackas.

Discussing relations between the EU and Ukraine, Minister V.Ušackas indicated that it was necessary to deepen relations with Ukraine, to seek the conclusion of an ambitious association agreement, which would encompass free trade, cooperation on the issues of economy, energy, etc.

At the Council, the programme of the Czech EU Presidency was discussed. The Minister stressed that Lithuania firmly supported the initiatives of the Czech EU Presidency, which would allow guaranteeing broader and deeper public awareness of the European society on the crimes of the totalitarian regimes. According to him, seeking to properly evaluate the crimes of the totalitarian regimes and not to forget them, discussions should become a permanent item on the EU agenda.