Press release, 20 April 2015
Loreta Graužinienė, Speaker of the Seimas, is taking part in the Conference of the Speakers of the European Union Parliaments held in Rome as the last parliamentary dimension event of the Italian Presidency of the Council of the EU.
Photo by the Seimas Office (author Živilė Pavilonytė)
The conference started with the meeting of the presidents of the Troika and European Parliament, namely, Loreta Graužinienė, Speaker of the Seimas; Laura Boldrini, President of the Chamber of Deputies, and Pietro Grasso, President of the Senate of the Italian Republic; Mars Di Bartolomeo, President of the Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies; and Antonio Tajani, Vice-President of the European Parliament.
The meeting discussed the conference agenda containing the most relevant EU issues: Europe beyond the crisis, fundamental rights of freedom, solidarity and security, the role of parliaments in negotiations on international treaties, etc. The Conference of the Speakers of the EU Parliaments is expected to end with the adoption of the conclusions of the Presidency Parliament.
Furthermore, the meeting decided to start the Conference by observing a minute of silence for the victims of the Mediterranean shipwreck at the weekend. The Conference is to adopt a Declaration of Strengthening Rescue Operations in the Mediterranean. The draft Declaration provides that the borders of Europe have entered into a highly critical phase due to tensions and conflicts, whereby the countries of Europe run the risk of severe repercussions on their security, and Europe itself is thus obliged to play an active role by focusing its closest attention both to its eastern border and to the southern border in the Mediterranean. Besides, the document notes that the succession of tragedies that are causing the deaths of so many people in shipwrecks or from exposure has created an all-out humanitarian emergency.
It is the first time in the history of the Lithuanian Parliament that the Seimas Speaker will be a keynote speaker at the Conference of the Speakers of the EU Parliaments. Mrs Graužinienė will deliver a speech on strengthening political dialogue, the Barosso Initiative, between National Parliaments and the European Commission.
Rimas Rudaitis, Public Relations Unit, Communications Department, Office of the Seimas, tel.+370 5 239 6132, e-mail: [email protected]
