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On 25-26 October in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Mantvydas Bekešius took part in a meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs from the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and from the EU. The meeting focused on the future of the regional partnership and how to strengthen political and economic relations. The Foreign Ministers also exchanged their opinions on development cooperation and climate change.

“The strengthening of the EU-CELAC partnership has to be based on common values, economic, cultural ties, people-to-people contact, international law, indisputable respect for human rights and territorial integrity. These values can also, at the same time, help our partner countries to strengthen the principles of good governance and gender equality,” said Bekešius.

Lithuania’s Foreign Vice-Minister also gave a speech at a side event, which was dedicated to the role of women in ensuring peace and security. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania has allocated EUR 10,000 to the instrument under the Development Cooperation and Democracy Promotion Programme.

“Lithuania takes part at the international level aiming to increase the representation of women at all decision making levels, addressing the issues of violence against women and women’s situation in labour market,” said Bekešius. Lithuania’s Foreign Vice-Minister drew the participants’ attention to the fact that Lithuania was one of the first countries to financially support the UN Global Acceleration Instrument (GAI) on Women, Peace, Security and Humanitarian Action.

In Santo Domingo, the Foreign Vice-Minister, on behalf of the Republic of Lithuania, also signed an agreement establishing an international organization – the European Union - Latin America and the Caribbean Foundation (EU-LAC Foundation) – which formally began operating in 2011. With its headquarters in the city of Hamburg, Germany, the Foundation aims to transform and adapt the strategic partnership between the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean. It is planned that the Foundation will pay special attention to the Baltic States in 2017.

A project, which would help information technology companies from the Baltic states enter Latin American and Caribbean markets, is being considered, especially bearing in mind that the region’s market is already familiar to Lithuania’s information technology business. Lithuanian companies have successfully implemented Lithuanian tax e-filing systems in the following six countries in the Eastern Caribbean: Guatemala, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

CELAC (Comunidad de Estados Latinoamericanos y Caribeños) was established on 23 February 2010. The first meeting of the organization was held in Caracas, Venezuela, on 2 and 3 December 2011. The community represents about 600 million people.

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