“Out of the four priorities of the Lithuanian Presidency, the Eastern Partnership has naturally become the most important. This results from our common history with Eastern partners, our EU aspirations, and Lithuania’s interests. The Lithuanian Presidency will seek to make the Eastern Partnership a particular success, just as the end of the Cold War was. Lithuania very much hopes that one day, not only the Baltic Sea, but the Black See too will become the internal sea of the EU when Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, and Turkey join the European Union. Now it sounds like a fantasy, but we must believe that one day in future the whole modern Europe will really be united,” said Gediminas Kirkilas, Deputy Speaker of the Seimas and Chair of the Committee on European Affairs, in his welcome address to foreign guests at a lunch on the occasion of the beginning of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Mr Kirkilas extended his congratulations to Josip Leko, Speaker of the Croatian Parliament, attending the Seimas events to mark the start of the Lithuanian Presidency, on Croatia’s accession to the EU on 1 July. “This is a truly historic day and a victory for both Croatia and the whole EU. Lithuania is honoured by the fact that Croatia became the 28^th Member State during the first Lithuanian Presidency and now Lithuania is presiding over the largest European Union in history.”

The Deputy Speaker expressed his gratitude to Seán Barrett, Speaker of the Irish Parliament, and Philomena Murnaghan, Irish Ambassador in Lithuania, for the excellent example set by Ireland, as a Presidency old-timer, for Lithuania, as a newcomer, as well as for Ireland’s impartial and effective Presidency based on the principle of making a difference. He also conveyed his thanks to Dominic Hannigan, Chairperson of the European Affairs Committee of the Irish Parliament, for smooth cooperation in the parliamentary dimension of the Presidency.

“Lithuania and Greece have been preparing for the Presidency together. Ireland can now relax a little, especially after the difficult agreement on the EU budget reached in June, while hard work is still ahead of Lithuania and Greece. I believe that during our Trio Presidency, the EU will manage to overcome the consequences of the economic and financial crisis, and that Greece, as well as the whole EU, will stand firm,” said the Chair of the Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs when addressing Athanassios Papaioannou, Secretary General of the Hellenic Parliament, and Michail Efstratios Daratzikis, Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic.

Mr Kirkilas also thanked Poland, as Lithuania’s strategic partner, for its initiatives and joint efforts to keep the countries of the Eastern Partnership on the track of democracy and human rights. “Recalling Lithuania’s friend President Lech Kaczyński, today, I extend my thanks to the incumbent President of Poland Bronisław Komorowski, my former colleague Jarosław Kaczyński, and Prime Minister Donald Tusk,” he said.

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