News

Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis is leaving for Rome, where he will attend a regular foreign ministers’ meeting of the European centre-right - the European People’s Party - on 20 February.

Foreign ministers of thirteen EU member states and ten foreign ministers from the Eastern Partnership countries, the Balkans and Turkey will take part in the meeting. The ministers intend to discuss the situation in Ukraine and Moldova, the Balkans, the Caucasus, and the stabilising impact of the EU and NATO integration processes for the Eastern Europe.

The agendas of the European Union’s General Affairs Council and the External Relations Council scheduled for 22 February in Brussels, as well as the creation of the European External Action Service and the EU’s relations with Russia will be discussed at the meeting of the foreign ministers from the European People's Party.

In Rome, Foreign Minister A.Ažubalis intends to meet with Italy’s Foreign Minister Franco Frattini  and to discuss with him the EU-Russia relations, NATO’s Strategic Concept and bilateral relations.

A meeting of Minister A.Ažubalis with Minister for Georgia’s Integration into European and Euro-Atlantic Structures Giorgi Baramidze is also scheduled in Rome.

During his visit to Vatican, head of Lithuania’s diplomacy will meet with Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, Secretary for Relations with States. The Minister intends to speak with the Archbishop about relations between the EU institutions and religious organizations, and an appropriate European evaluation of crimes committed by the totalitarian regimes.

From Rome, Foreign Minister will depart to Brussels, where he will attend an informal meeting of the EU Trade Ministers on 21 February and the EU’s General Affairs Council and the External Relations Council on 22 February.

At the Councils, Minister A.Ažubalis and other EU foreign ministers will discuss preparations for the European Council that is due on 25-26 March, issues of climate change and EU enlargement, as well as the EU aid to Haiti, outcomes of the London Conference on Afghanistan, the EU’s policy towards Iran, and will assess the results of the elections in Ukraine.

Bilateral meetings of Minister A.Ažubalis with High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek and member of the European Commission, Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Štefan Füle are scheduled in Brussels.