News

Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Rolandas Kriščiūnas, who took part in the EU Foreign Affairs Council (Trade) in Brussels on 7 May, together with Ministers of EU member states, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, discussed achievements in the field of trade, challenges and opportunities for further economic and commercial cooperation. The meeting was exceptional because it was the first Eastern Partnership ministerial meeting on trade.

Kriščiūnas stressed that he was optimistic about the first months of EU’s free trade with Moldova and Georgia - trade volumes were growing and reforms were being implemented, but the countries would reap the greatest benefits from free trade only after the implementation of most of the planned reforms.

As regards Ukraine, Kriščiūnas underlined that the remaining time before the application of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) part of the agreement on 1 January 2016 should be used for proper preparations to start applying provisions of the agreement. Lithuania’s Foreign Vice-Minister said that the implementation of the required reforms needed a lot of effort, political will and resources, and pledged Lithuania’s expert assistance.

Lithuania called on Azerbaijan and Belarus to accelerate the negotiations for accession to the World Trade Organization. Kriščiūnas also voiced his support for future negotiations with Armenia on an agreement without the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area component which contradicts Armenia’s membership in the Eurasian Economic Union. The agreement would allow Armenia to modernize its economy.