News

On 13 September, Lithuania’s Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Asta Skaisgirytė Liauškienė took part in an informal meeting of the European Union’s Trade Ministers in Brussels. The Ministers discussed important issues of trade policy: the economic downturn, the increasing protectionism, a necessity to prompt economic integration, the role of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in the international trade, means of curbing climate change and the implementation of development cooperation projects.

During the meeting, the Vice-Minister stressed that if protectionism were strengthened in the current situation, we would have to forget our hopes of seeing the economy quickly recovering.

“The EU has to try to influence unfavourable decisions made by the third countries, so that the EU exporters would have as little loss as possible.  While curbing protectionism, it is necessary to apply all the measures that are determined in the EU’s Market Access Strategy,” said A.Skaisgirytė Liauškienė.

The Vice-Minister emphasized that in order to curb climate change, a global agreement was needed, under which the countries that pollute environment the most would undertake a commitment to reduce pollution emissions.

“If we do not achieve this, there will be a threat of serious negative consequences for the EU, particularly the loss of competitive ability and the relocation of the industry, i.e. the shift of the branches of industry that pollute environment the most to such countries, which apply no limits to pollution and, in this way, the world’s pollution would increase,” said A.Skaisgirytė Liauškienė.

In the opinion of the Vice-Minister, in order to avoid this, we have to discuss and carefully evaluate all the measures and possible scenarios, including also the input of importers of goods into solving problems caused by climate change.