The meeting between Members of the Seimas Committee on European Affairs and the Committee on the Affairs of the European Union of the Bundestag of the Federal Republic of Germany mainly focused on the association agreement between Ukraine and the EU, as well as the Digital Agenda for Europe.

“During the opening ceremony of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the EU in the European Parliament, the President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso expressed hope that Europe will get back on track to growth during the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the EU. We sincerely expect that to happen. However, the agenda of the Lithuanian Presidency is ambitious and complex”, said Gediminas Kirkilas, Deputy Speaker of the Seimas and Chair of the Committee on European Affairs.

 

 

Michael Stübgen, Spokesman on European Affairs of the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU), thinks it is difficult to predict the position of the Federal Government concerning the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, because Germany will hold parliamentary elections at the end of September.

“In any case, Germany will make a decision having considered up-to-date information about the progress of Ukraine in the areas of democracy and human rights. In fact, even after the association agreement with Ukraine is signed, the agreement will still need to be ratified by EU Member States. Nevertheless, we have to make every effort to help Ukraine become part of Europe”, the Member of the Bundestag noted.

Gediminas Kirkilas stresses that “Lithuania has been highly engaged in the EU’s Eastern Partnership policy. We are closely following the situation in Eastern Neighbourhood countries. Lithuania’s position is that of maintaining these countries, currently Ukraine in particular, closer to Europe, because it is now that Ukraine’s future will be determined. Therefore, we support the signature of the association agreement with Ukraine in Vilnius in November and the EU having more levers of influence with regard to democratic processes in Ukraine during the ratification process”.

 

 

Kęstutis Masiulis, Member of the Committee on European Affairs, believes that “the integration of Ukraine into the EU is a geopolitical factor. Lithuania works closely with the ruling coalition and the opposition of Ukraine. We find it crucially important for Ukraine to have a unanimous approach towards its European perspectives and for EU Member States to have a more flexible and understanding attitude towards the situation in Ukraine”.

Lithuanian and German parliamentarians focused particularly on the Digital Agenda for Europe. Gediminas Kirkilas emphasised that during the Presidency of the Council of the EU Lithuania will discuss cyber security issues, which have been included in the agenda of the meeting of the chairpersons of the Committees on Education, Science and Culture and of the Committees on the Development of Information Society to be held in Vilnius on 26-27 September 2013.

The meeting also discussed other priorities of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the EU and the key events of parliamentary dimension to be held in Vilnius, as well as the German and Lithuanian models for the consideration of EU matters in parliaments.

 

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