CHALLENGES TO LITHUANIA’S EU MEMBERSHIP: ENERGY INDEPENDENCE, INCREASING OF COMPETITIVENESS AND EU COUNCIL PRESIDENCY
At the public discussion “7 years of Lithuania’s Membership in the European Union: Set to Take the Helm” on 19 July in Vilnius, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis identified key challenges of Lithuania’s EU membership: energy independence, increasing of competitiveness and preparing to hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
A crowd of about 150 people attended the discussion at the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania.
According to A.Ažubalis, due to the efforts of Lithuania and other EU member states the issue of energy security has assumed priority position on the EU’s agenda and now there is need to implement it.
“For the safety and welfare of every Lithuanian citizen we have to resolutely pursue the path to energy independence. As long as we are an ‘energy island’, we cannot feel safe and calm. The EU supports our commitment as we are stepping towards the implementation of the Third Energy Package,” the Minister said.
He highlighted also another major direction for Lithuania’s efforts related to energy, i.e. the EU policy shaping for unsafe planned nuclear power plants in the neighborhood. According to A.Ažubalis, this problem is to be addressed in all possible frameworks.
Another challenge identified by the Minister is increasing the competitiveness of Lithuania’s economy.
When speaking about this issue, A.Ažubalis said that active participation in the EU’s common trade policy shaping process was also required with particular emphasis on the negotiations between the European Union and Russia for the accession of the Russian Federation to the World Trade Organization, negotiations on free trade agreements with Ukraine and other partners. The priority is assigned to most urgent euro adoption.
When discussing the prospects of Lithuania’s EU Presidency, the Foreign Minister said that this mission would help Lithuania to increase its influence in the EU, would strengthen Lithuania’s position in the world and would promote tourism and investment flows in the country.
However, also the approaching Presidency of the European Union in 2013 is a very big challenge to Lithuania.
“Law and duty to participate in shaping our own future is the greatest gift of the EU to each of its member states,” A.Ažubalis noted.
In 2013, Lithuania which became an EU member state in 2004 will hold the six month Presidency of the Council of the European Union and will chair preparatory working groups, and there are even 260 of them, will represent the Council in its relations with the European Parliament, the Commission and other institutions, will organize about 3000 meetings at different levels in Brussels and Luxembourg, and about 180 meetings in Lithuania.
