Lithuania‘s Minister of Foreign Affairs A. Ažubalis says, that continuous implementation of the Treaty of Lisbon, energy security, as well as European Union‘s relations with Eastern Neighbourhood countries and Russia would stay on the list of European policy issues that are the most important to Lithuania in the second half of 2010.
Audronius Ažubalis
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Lithuania‘s Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis says, that continuous implementation of the Treaty of Lisbon, energy security, as well as European Union‘s relations with Eastern Neighbourhood countries and Russia would stay on the list of European policy issues that are the most important to Lithuania in the second half of 2010.
These Lithuanian priorities for the Belgian EU Presidency were presented by Minister A.Ažubalis during a working dinner that was held at the initiative of Belgium‘s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Institutional Reforms Steven Vanackere on 20 June in Brussels.
According to Lithuania‘s Foreign Minister, economic and financial issues are also particularly important to the country. He highlighted the implementation of the new EU 2020 strategy for sustainable growth and employment, as well as the initiatives regarding enhanced coordination of the EU member states’ economic policy that are currently being discussed. The EU 2020 strategy was adopted at the European Council on 17 June.
“Lithuania is very much interested in the implementation of the Baltic Interconnection Plan and the diversification of energy sources, as well as in the coordinated external energy policy, which gets proper impetus through the implementation of the Treaty of Lisbon“, Minister A.Ažubalis noted.
The Minister also said that active development of bilateral and multilateral relations with six countries of the EU‘s Eastern Partnership initiative and Russia should also be high on the agenda during Belgium‘s EU Presidency.
“Lithuania actively supports further strengthening of the relations between the EU and Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, South Caucasus states. We consider it is necessary to continue close mutual cooperation with the countries that aspire to deeper relations with the EU”, Minister A.Ažubalis said.
On 1 July, Belgium will succeed Spain as the next EU Presidency. It will stay at the helm of the EU until 1 January 2011.
The meeting in Brussels was attended by Austrian, Belgian, Bulgarian, Finnish, Lithuanian, Portuguese, Slovak and Slovenian foreign ministers.