Lithuanian Foreign Minister and Vice-Minister to attend Informal EU Ministers’ Meetings in Italy
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius will attend the Informal EU Foreign Ministers‘ meeting (Gymnich) on 29-30 August, and Vice-Minister Rolandas Kriščiūnas will take part in the EU General Affairs Council on 28-29 August. Both meetings will take place in Milan.
Foreign Ministers will discuss the Middle East peace process, and the political issues in the countries of Eastern Partnership and in the Southern neighbourhood.
Discussions on the Eastern Partnership will focus on the rapidly deteriorating situation in the east of Ukraine, the EU-Russia relations and, in the context of the Southern neighbourhood, threats to Iraq and to the entire region posed by the Islamic State militant group. Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament Elmar Brok will attend one of the sessions.
The Informal Meeting of the EU General Affairs Council will discuss the implementation of EU priorities and the enhancement of effectiveness of EU institutions.
The June European Council set five priorities for the European Union for the next five years: growth, jobs and competitiveness; empowerment and protection of all citizens; Energy Union with forward looking climate policy; a Union of freedom, security and justice; a Union as a strong global actor. The meeting will discuss ways in which to ensure the implementation of these priorities and the role of General Affairs Council in this process.
Taking into consideration the importance of the smooth EU decision-making process for EU priorities, the Ministers will also address the issues of improving effectiveness of EU institutions, and inter-institutional cooperation.
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