Press release, 5 April 2013

The EU–Canada free trade agreement is expected to be initialled during the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union in view of the fact that negotiations on the agreement are due to be concluded during the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU. This was confirmed by Petras Auštrevičius, Deputy Speaker of the Seimas and Deputy Chair of the Committee on European Affairs, during the meeting of members of the Seimas Committee on European Affairs and the delegation of the Canada-Nordic-Baltic Parliamentary Friendship Group and the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association.

Mr Auštrevičius presented to the Canadian guests the programme and priorities of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union as well as the process of considering EU affairs and extending parliamentary mandates in Lithuania.

Representative of the Conservative Party, David Tilson, who is a member of the Canadian Parliamentary Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, member of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association and head of the delegation visiting Lithuania, said that he was closely observing the processes taking place in both the EU and the Eurozone. “We are deeply interested in how our friends in Europe and the US are doing, because the way things are going on for them determines how things will develop for us.”

Mr Tilson wished every success to Lithuania during its Presidency of the Council while expressing his belief that the Lithuanian Presidency would be successful due to Lithuania’s experience and determination.

During the meeting, the members of the Lithuanian and Canadian parliaments exchanged their opinions on the development of democracy in Eastern Europe. Members of the Seimas Committee on European Affairs stressed the importance of the Eastern Partnership programme and the Eastern Partnership Summit to be held in Vilnius on 28–29 November 2013.

Benediktas Juodka, Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Member of the Committee on European Affairs, underlined that in the framework of the Eastern Partnership, Ukraine currently receives particular attention in the hope of signing the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement during the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius this November.

“In this respect, Lithuania will try to assume the role of a fair mediator capable of aligning different interests between the EU Member States,” Mr Auštrevičius said.

Emanuelis Zingeris, Deputy Chair of the Committee on European Affairs, thanked the Canadian parliamentarians for Canada’s non-recognition of the Soviet occupation of Lithuania and for its constant support to the democratic path Lithuania had chosen after the restoration of independence. “Canada and Lithuania are sisters of democracy, and we are taking lessons from the mature democracy of Canada. Your values are our values, and we will cooperate with Canada at all international organisations and jointly spread the knowledge of democracy to the world,” Mr Zingeris said.

Povilas Gylys, Deputy Chair of the Committee on European Affairs, talked about the necessity to discuss the future of Europe aiming at sustainability of the EU, for the future enlargement of the Eurozone would require establishment of a fiscal and political union.

Morta Vidūnaitė, Adviser to Gediminas Kirkilas, Deputy Speaker of the Seimas, office tel: +370 5 239 6278, mobile tel: +370 612 01121, e-mail: [email protected]