On Sunday, on the eve of the Conference of Speakers of European Union Parliaments, the parliamentary delegations met in the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania at the invitation of Seimas Speaker Loreta Graužinienė.
The Speaker of the Seimas welcomed the guests to the Conference of Speakers of European Union Parliaments. The Conference takes place for the first time in our country and is held in the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania in Vilnius on 6–8 April.
“As experienced politicians, we are well aware that the truth is born in discussion and in search for a compromise. As fellow parliamentarians, we are all united by a common purpose to serve the people in our respective countries. The mandate of our voters entitles us to a great responsibility not only for the well-being of the people in individual states, but also for ensuring stability and security all across the united Europe and in its neighbouring countries,” the Speaker of the Seimas urged the participants to come together and find inner strength.
“We clearly understand that we are accountable to our voters not only for our deeds, but also for our failure to act. Europe is able to pull its act together, even at the most difficult of times, summon inner strength from common values and ideas and demonstrate that unrealistic assignments and insurmountable difficulties simply do not exist,” the Speaker of the Seimas said.
The delegations of the European Union Parliaments had a guided tour of the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania before the solemn dinner.
The Conference of Speakers of European Union Parliaments is the final and one of the largest parliamentary dimension events of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which is conducted by the national Parliament of the Member State holding the Presidency in the second semester of the year and organised by this Member State following the completion of its Presidency in the first semester of the next year.
Thirty-four foreign delegations arrived at the conference of the highest political level. A total of 300 members of parliamentary delegations and guests from EU national Parliaments, the European Parliament, candidate and Eastern Partnership countries will take part in the international event.
The Conference of Speakers of European Union Parliaments is expected to conclude with the adoption of the Presidency Conclusions. They are expected to cover economic and financial measures in post-crisis Europe, Eastern Partnership, in particular the situation in Ukraine, and interparliamentary cooperation in the area of freedom, security and justice.
At the initiative of Barbara Prammer, President of the National Council of the Republic of Austria, commemoration of the International Roma Day and adoption of a declaration will also feature on the agenda of the Conference.
After the Conference of Speakers of European Union Parliaments ends on 8 April, Lithuania will hand the Presidency of the Conference over to Italy that will hold the Conference of Speakers of European Union Parliaments in the spring of 2015.
The Conference of Speakers of European Union Parliaments will be broadcast live on the TV channel LRT Kultūra, TV programme Seimas Live, website of the Seimas and website of the parliamentary dimension of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
For a detailed programme of the event, please click here.
Monika Kutkaitytė, Public Relations Unit, Communications Department, Office of the Seimas, tel. +370 5 239 6666, e-mail: monika.kutkaityte@lrs.lt
