Today, on 21 October during the visit to Austria, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Ušackas met with Michael Spindelegger, Minister for European and Foreign Affairs of Austria.
Today, on 21 October during the visit to Austria, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Ušackas met with Michael Spindelegger, Minister for European and Foreign Affairs of Austria. During the meeting, key issues of bilateral relations and the European agenda were discussed.
The Ministers expressed satisfaction with good bilateral cooperation between Lithuania and Austria, especially when providing consular assistance to the citizens of their countries.
Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs V.Ušackas thanked M.Spindelegger that from 1 August Austrian Embassies in the Philippines, Columbia, Syria and Lebanon were issuing Schengen visas to the citizens of these countries for travelling to Lithuania. The head of Lithuania’s diplomacy proposed to provide analogous services in Lithuania’s diplomatic representations in Minsk, Hrodna and Kaliningrad to those who wish to travel to Austria.
While discussing the establishment of the EU External Affairs Council, the Ministers stressed that future EU representations abroad would provide the necessary consular assistance to all EU citizens.
During the meeting, the Ministers discussed the outcome of the referendum in Ireland, preparation for the upcoming European Council, issues of the implementation of the EU Eastern Partnership and the EU enlargement, the situation in the regions of the Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Western Balkans, and perspectives of Iceland’s joining the EU.
V.Ušackas emphasized bilateral cooperation between Lithuania and Austria in the area of science and innovations.
Kaunas University of Technology, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University and the Lithuanian Energy Institute are members of the Technology and Knowledge Unit of the Austrian University of Graz. These units join several partner universities in the EU member states and encourage an international cooperation of scientists.
The Ministers emphasized that the cooperation between Vilnius and Linz, the two European Capitals of Culture in 2009, was a beautiful highlight of bilateral relations.
Today V.Ušackas is also meeting with Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Austrian National Council Josef Cap. They intend to discuss bilateral interparliamentary cooperation, strengthening the role of National Parliaments after the Treaty of Lisbon comes into force and other EU issues.