LITHUANIA’S GOALS IN THE REGION: PROMOTION OF INNOVATIONS, CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION, CLEAN AND SAFE ENVIRONMENT OF THE BALTIC SEA
On 31 August – 1 September, in Denmark, Nyborg, during the 18th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Asta Skaisgirytė Liauškienė presented the most important priorities of Lithuania’s Presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS): promotion of innovations and cross-border cooperation, fostering clean and safe environment in the Baltic Sea region. Lithuania will aim to implement these priorities by getting our neighbours – the Kaliningrad Region of Russian Federation and Belarus - closely involved.
The Vice-Minister also stressed that it was important to implement the EU’s strategy for the Baltic Sea region. During its Presidency, Lithuania will aim at identifying the directions, in which CBSS could contribute to the implementation of the strategy with the greatest benefit.
During the conference, the main topic of which were the new security challenges in the region, the Vice-Minister spoke about the work done by the CBSS structures and its strategic partners, and the directions of its activities in the areas of organised crime prevention, border control, customs activities, tax administration, and cooperation of Prosecutors General.
The Vice-Minister emphasized in her speech that the Governments of the Baltic Sea region and the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference should cooperate closely and share priorities.
During the meeting with State Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark Michael Zilmer-Johns, the Vice-Minister discussed the issues of regional and bilateral cooperation, the EU’s strategy for the Baltic Sea region and the EU-Russia cooperation.
Lithuania and Denmark’s military and civilian input into the stabilisation process of Afghanistan was also discussed. It was agreed to review possibilities to cooperate closer, while implementing the assistance projects in Afghanistan. M.Zilmer-Johns spoke positively about the Lithuanian-led Provincial Reconstruction Team in Ghor Province.
Lithuania has been holding the Presidency of the CBSS since 1 July 2009.
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