News

On 19 January, Undersecretary of the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Evaldas Ignatavičius, currently on a visit in Vienna and Bratislava, met with Chairman of the Permanent Council of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Ivo Petrov and discussed this year’s priorities of the Bulgarian Chairmanship of the OSCE and the organisation’s key areas of work. Evaldas Ignatavičius underlined that Lithuania fully supported intentions of the OSCE Chairmanship to continue paying special attention of the organisation to solving the long-lasting conflicts in Georgia and Moldova’s Trans-Dnestr region as well as to supporting the democratic processes in these and other regions of the Commonwealth of Independent States. MFA Undersecretary Ignatavičius strongly approved Bulgaria’s decision to maintain such important priorities of the OSCE as fighting against terrorism and human trafficking at the top of the Chairmanship’s agenda. The MFA Undersecretary also underscored that this year would be a year of very important elections in the OSCE countries. Parliamentary elections in Lithuania’s neighbour Belarus scheduled for October will be a serious exam evaluating readiness of the public institutions and the society of the country to conform to the rules of democracy. The OSCE, and primarily its Office in Minsk and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights in Warsaw, should help Belarus to prepare properly for this exam of democracy. Lithuania speaks in favour of close coordination of efforts by international organisations such as the Council of Europe, the OSCE and the European Parliament on the mentioned issues. Evaldas Ignatavičius pointed out that Lithuania also approved another important priority of the Bulgarian Chairmanship – education, and especially encouraging youth educational programmes. The MFA Undersecretary affirmed that Lithuania fully realised the importance of the OSCE efforts in this area and was ready to contribute to implementing specific educational projects. The Lithuanian diplomat emphasised the necessity to pay greater attention by the OSCE to educational programmes. The MFA Undersecretary and Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania to the International Organisations in Vienna Rytis Paulauskas reiterated their opinion at the same day’s meeting with OSCE Secretary General Jan Kubiš and discussions with the heads of the EU delegations. Evaldas Ignatavičius also attended other bilateral meetings with the heads of the US and Russian delegations and the OSCE leaders. On 20 January, the MFA Undersecretary met with Head of Political Section of the Austrian MFA Thomas Mayr-Harting in Vienna and later on the same day - Director General of the European Affairs Division of the Slovakian MFA Maroš Šefčovič in Bratislava.