AT THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL LITHUANIAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS MET WITH COLLEAGUES FROM EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRIES
On 12 December in Brussels, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Vygaudas Ušackas met with Foreign Secretary of British Foreign and Commonwealth Office David Miliband. Minister V.Ušackas is a member of the delegation led by President of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus that is participating in the European Council meeting in Brussels.
Having finished his work at the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania to the United Kingdom, V.Ušackas officially bade farewell to the British Foreign Secretary. They discussed bilateral relations and affairs of the Lithuanian community in Great Britain.
During the meeting, interlocutors also exchanged opinions on important issues of the European Union policy, they emphasised that Lithuania and the United Kingdom shared their positions on issues of European economy development and on strengthening its competitiveness. The Minister and the Secretary stressed the significance of eliminating obstacles in the EU’s internal market.
Head of Lithuanian diplomacy also spoke with Bernard Kouchner, the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of France, which is currently holding the EU Presidency, as well as with Foreign Minister of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia Maris Riekstins, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, head of diplomacy of Finland Alexander Stubb and Sweden’s head of diplomacy Carl Bildt.
During the meeting with Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs of the Czech Republic Alexandr Vondra and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Karel Schwarzenberg, Minister V.Ušackas discussed priorities of the Czech EU Presidency in the first half of 2009. Representatives from the Czech Republic invited Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs to Prague on 26‑27 January 2009 to the upcoming EU General Affairs and External Relations Council. Issues of energy security, deepening of transatlantic relations and the Treaty of Lisbon are scheduled on its agenda.
On 12 December, Minister V.Ušackas leaves for London, where he will bid farewell to the Lithuanian community and his colleagues from the diplomatic corps in the United Kingdom.
On 15 December, Minister of Foreign Affairs is returning to Vilnius.
