Lithuania’s Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs V. Ušackas and Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs M. Verhagen discussed key points on the transatlantic agenda and issues of the European security.
On 20 July in the Hague, Lithuania’s Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Ušackas and Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Verhagen discussed key points on the transatlantic agenda and issues of the European security, including energy security issues.
During the meeting, the Ministers emphasized the importance of relations between the U.S.A. and Europe, based on general democratic values, also on common interests in the spheres of economy and environment protection. Ministers V.Ušackas and M.Verhagen stressed that the U.S.A. and Europe were closely historically interconnected by transatlantic links in NATO, which is the organization of collective defence.
Heads of diplomacy of Lithuania and the Netherlands also drew attention to the fact that the most important tasks in guaranteeing supervision of the financial sector and in revitalizing economic growth, also challenges related to climate change and guaranteeing security in Afghanistan would be successfully solved only when the U.S.A. and Europe act together and, thus, demonstrate an example to other countries.
While speaking about the discussion that began regarding the European security architecture, both Ministers spoke up for carrying out this discussion within the framework of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and for the implementation of undertaken obligations, as well as for the strengthening of the present institutions: NATO, European Union, OSCE, the Council of Europe. Lithuania will chair the OSCE in 2011.
Ministers V.Ušackas and M.Verhagen discussed the meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Baltic States and Benelux countries, which is due on 13 October 2009 in Lithuania. Currently Lithuania is holding the chairmanship over the Baltic Council of Ministers, and the Netherlands is leading the Benelux organisation. The Ministers agreed to continue an active cooperation regarding the most important issues on the EU agenda.
The Ministers were glad that the bilateral economic cooperation between the countries was effective. Minister V.Ušackas conveyed to his counterpart an invitation for the Dutch Minister of Transport to attend the Asia-Europe Transport Ministers’ Meeting in October in Lithuania.
The Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs positively assesses the possibility for the Netherlands to support Ambassador Ina Marčiulionytė as the candidate to the post of the Director General of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The Dutch Minister heeded attention to the amended Law on Protection of Minors from the Impact of Negative Information adopted by the Seimas (Parliament) of the Republic of Lithuania. Minister V.Ušackas stressed that the law aimed at protecting minors from an impact of negative information on their physical, mental or moral development. According to Minister V.Ušackas, Lithuania knows about the concern of its EU partners regarding this law. However, the Minister assured that the law did not intend to breach human rights. According to the Minister, ways of guaranteeing the equality of rights by prohibiting the propagation of any sexual relations to minors are being considered.
Today in the Hague, Minister V.Ušackas also met with OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Knut Vollebaek. During the meeting, the Minister expressed support to the activities of this OSCE institution, based on the instruments of an early warning and a diplomatic dialogue. The interlocutors discussed the situation of national minorities in the South-East and Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia.