News

At the initiative of Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Ušackas, the first foreign ministers’ meeting of the group of the three countries – Ireland, Lithuania and Greece – that will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the 2013-the first half-year of 2014 is organised on 14 January in Vilnius.

During the meeting, Minister V.Ušackas, Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin and Greek Alternate Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas will discuss the impact of the Treaty of Lisbon on the procedures of the Presidency of the European Union and the ways, in which the Treaty will strengthen the cooperation among the three successive Presidencies of the Council.

Foreign ministers will discuss ways to prepare for the Presidency smoothly, to draft an 18 month programme of the next three Presidencies and to implement it effectively.

During the conversation, the Ministers plan to agree on the calendar of joint actions and to appoint coordinators, who would ensure the practical cooperation of the trilateral group.

The participants of the meeting also intend to discuss topical issues on the EU agenda – the climate change, energy security, the EU’s 2020 strategy, the EU budget review, the implementation of the Stockholm Programme, the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region and the EU enlargement.

The Treaty of Lisbon, which is now in effect, foresees that the Presidency of the European Union is undertaken by the presidency trios according to the schedule, which is set in advance, and that they jointly draw a draft 18 month programme for the activities of the Council.

Lithuania will coordinate its Presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half-year of 2013 with Ireland, which will hold the Presidency before Lithuania, and with the EU Presidency for the first half-year of 2014 Greece. Until 2013, meetings of foreign ministers of Ireland, Lithuania and Greece and consultations of coordinators and future working groups’ chairmen are to be held regularly.