According to the Vice-Minister, successful implementation of the Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region calls for strong daily commitment at all levels of governance and from all partners involved, along with specific practical steps in achieving the objectives.

The representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also stressed that the fact that the Strategy enjoyed broad political support from the President, the Seimas (Parliament) and the Government gave good ground for optimism.

“If we look at the goals set by the Strategy – competitiveness, infrastructure, environment, safety and security – it is clear that the notable results in these areas cannot be achieved overnight and that the implementation of the Strategy will be a long and difficult process. For all that, it is very important to go increasingly to action seeking for concrete and tangible results,” Vice-Minister A.Skaisgirytė Liauškienė said.

According to the Vice-Minister, some projects of the Strategy are already being implemented, while the preparation of other projects has advanced and will soon enter into implementation phase.

The objective of the Strategy that was adopted in 2009 is the possibility for the EU member states of the Baltic Sea region to jointly address the issues that are important for entire region. The Strategy allows using the EU funds and funds of international financial institutions more efficiently, to coordinate the positions of the countries better and to make the most of the Baltic Sea region's development potential.

The Action Plan that was prepared by the European Commission includes 80 projects, which will become the main tool for the implementation of the main priorities of the Strategy.

In her speech, the Vice-Minister mentioned challenges that accompany the implementation of the strategy. According to the MFA official, in this phase it is most important to identify financing possibilities for the implementation of the Strategy and to ensure adequate alignment of funding for specific activities and projects.

A.Skaisgirytė Liauškienė stressed that there was a vital need to sustain the momentum and a high degree of visibility for the Strategy across Lithuanian and the region as a whole.

According to the Vice-Minister, a key component of this publicity dimension is the idea of an Annual Forum of social and economic partners in October in Tallinn. The event will review the progress of the implementation of this Strategy and will provide recommendations for its further implementation.

According to the Vice-Minister, the Strategy will take a prominent place on the agenda of Lithuania’s EU Presidency in 2013.

In Vilnius, the participants of the seminar discussed how national action programmes of the EU’s structural funds and the programmes of territorial cooperation respond to the objectives of the EU’s Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, how international financial institutions contribute to the funding of the Strategy’s implementation. The model projects of the Strategy were presented and the experience and best practices were shared in the areas of research and innovations, small and medium sized businesses, transportation, energy, tourism, health and education.

The seminar brought together members of the National Commission for the Supervision of the Implementation of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, representatives from various state institutions of Lithuania, social and economic partners - members of businesses, academic institutions, municipal and non-governmental organizations – along with the representatives from the European Commission, European Investment Bank, Nordic Investment Bank, the North Eastern European section of the EU’s INTERACT programme that supports the implementation of regional cooperation projects, the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth.