The three-day lasting Conference of Speakers of European Union Parliaments concluded its work today in the Seimas. The Conference mainly focused on interparliamentary cooperation with Eastern Partnership countries and assessment of the situation in Ukraine.

In the closing session of the Conference, the Speakers of EU Parliaments adopted conclusions, condemning Russia’s military intervention in and illegal annexation of Crimea. As underlined in the conclusions, the Speakers support the targeted sanctions adopted by the EU against the Russian officials who are directly responsible for the military intervention in Crimea and support additional measures, including economic sanctions, in case of any further steps by the Russian Federation to destabilise the situation in Ukraine.

The Speakers of EU Parliaments also condemn all acts that compromise the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine as well as any separatist activity and provocations stoked up by external forces in efforts to destabilise Eastern Ukraine and the whole country.

Moreover, the Speakers encourage the relevant bodies to process the first batch of financial support to Ukraine as soon as possible in order to ensure economic stability in the country and swift implementation of the necessary structural reforms.

Interparliamentary cooperation with Eastern Partnership countries is directly related to one of four priorities of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The adopted conclusions also put focus on the role of parliaments in tackling the consequences of the economic and financial crisis, lessons of subsidiarity checks in parliaments and interparliamentary cooperation in the area of freedom, security and justice.

Rimas Rudaitis, Public Relations Unit, Communications Department, Office of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, tel. +370 5 239 6132, e-mail: [email protected]