President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė says the decision taken by the European Council to amend the EU Treaty to provide for the establishment of a permanent support mechanism for crisis–stricken eurozone countries is very important for Lithuania.

“Yesterday and today the European Council discussed very serious issues relevant for the future of the eurozone and the whole European Union. We, representatives of all countries, agreed that the EU Treaty must be amended in order to be able to set up a support mechanism for countries in financial difficulty. This is important not only to the eurozone but also to other countries of the EU, including Lithuania,” President Dalia Grybauskaitė said.

The President attaches great importance to the fact that the permanent support mechanism will be available to all Member States, not just eurozone countries. According to the President, none of the Member States is immune to possible financial problems in the future. Faced with difficulties, Lithuania, like any other EU state, will have the possibility to tap this financial support mechanism.

The President explains that the EU Treaty must be amended because the constitution of one of the major EU donor countries does not allow the provision of financial support, unless the Treaty is amended.

“The consensus reached by all countries that the EU Treaty must be amended provided that this is beneficial to all EU Member States and that constitutions of other countries are respected is very important. This is a good message for us, meaning that we will always be able to defend our Constitution and our national interests and, at the same time, get the assistance if necessary,” President Dalia Grybauskaitė said.