News

State Secretary of the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Evaldas Ignatavičius, currently on a visit in Washington, during his meetings with high US officials welcomed the US-sponsored UN resolution on Iraq and informed them on the projects proposed by Lithuania on implementing the Enhanced Partnership in Northern Europe Initiative. Beginning with 15 October, MFA State Secretary Ignatavičius met Elizabeth Jones, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Anthony Wayne, Assistant Secretary of State, who is also in charge of the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs of the US Department of State, Dan Fried, Senior Director for the European and Eurasian Affairs of the National Security Council, and Victoria Nuland, Adviser to US Vice-President Dick Cheney. At the meetings, the future visit of Lithuanian President Rolandas Paksas to the United States, issues of security policy, restoration of Iraq including Lithuania’s contribution, as well as urgent issues of the bilateral economic relations were discussed. The MFA State Secretary also informed the US officials on Lithuania’s participation in the current and upcoming international projects, aiming to encourage democratic and market reform processes in the Eastern neighbouring countries and the Southern Caucasus states. The projects, initiated by Lithuania, are an actual country’s contribution into the initiative of the Enhanced Partnership in Northen Europe (e-PINE), which is meant to enhance and strengthen the US and Lithuanian, Latvian, Estonian, Swedish, Finnish, Danish, Norwegian and Icelandic cooperation in the fight against terrorism, human trade and other challenges as well as economic cooperation. In Washington, Evaldas Ignatavičius also met with officials of the US Congress and Senate, representatives of non-governmental and academic organisations and visited Holocaust museum. On 18 October, the MFA State Secretary joined the team “Aras” of the Lithuanian Embassy in the US and participated in the basketball tournament of American Lithuanians living in the neighbouring states. On the same day Evaldas Ignatavičius met with the Lithuanian community in Baltimore.