On 12 December 2012, the Programme of the 16^th Government of the Republic of Lithuania, approved by the President, was presented by the appointed Prime Minister Mr Algirdas Butkevičius at the meeting of the Seimas Committee on European Affairs and adopted by the Committee after its consideration.

Based on the Programme of the Government, relations with the Baltic, Nordic, large EU Member States (Germany, France and the UK) and Poland will be a priority of Lithuania’s European policy. However, as underlined by Mr Butkevičius and Mr Gediminas Kirkilas, Chairman of the Committee, the Eastern Partnership is by no means put aside, because it remains a priority of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council and of the Lithuanian foreign policy.

Lithuania has chosen to pursue the following aims in its European policy:

– seeking to ensure energy security of the country through economically-based strategic projects, to integrate the European energy and transport interconnections into a single system and to establish an efficiently-functioning common energy system of the EU;  

– favouring the EU reform based on the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty and strengthening of the community method (the competences of the EU institutions), the development of the EU internal market, EU anti-trust measures and support to the development of science and innovations;

– supporting EU enlargement and backing up Georgia and Ukraine in their efforts to integrate into the Euro-Atlantic area of cooperation.

Mr Butkevičius stressed the continuity of Lithuania’s European and foreign policy in general by underlining its importance during the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council and stability in the priority areas of the Lithuanian Presidency. He noted he would strive for publicity, transparency and public awareness of the foreign policy of Lithuania. The appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, Mr Linas Linkevičius was also present at the meeting and said that the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council was a common interest of the entire country, as well as of all the political forces and institutions.

Mr Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis, Member of the Committee, singled out the points of the adopted Programme of the Government which relate to Lithuania’s active role in the preparation of the EU Multiannual Financial Framework 2014–2020 and the country’s goal to ensure that the Financial Framework is based on fair EU budget distribution and economic convergence. Mr Kirkilas expressed hope that the EU budget would be adopted during the Irish Presidency of the Council and thus Lithuania would be able to focus on the implementation of its programme during its Presidency.

The reports by the Lithuanian ministers on the meetings of the General Affairs, the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs and the Justice and Home Affairs Councils, which were held over the last two weeks, were also presented at the Committee meeting. The most important achievement of the meeting of the General Affairs Council, held on 11 December 2012, was the adoption of the work programme of the EU Council to be followed during the Trio Presidencies of Ireland, Lithuania and Greece.

Morta Vidūnaitė, Adviser to Gediminas Kirkilas, Deputy Speaker of the Seimas, Secretariat of Deputy Speakers of the Seimas, tel: +370 5 2396763, e-mail: [email protected]