Your Excellency President Dalia Grybauskaitė,
Your Excellency Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius,
Distinguished foreign guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Today, in the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, we solemnly mark the start of our Presidency of the Council of the European Union a period which will be inscribed in capital letters in the history of Lithuania.
Lithuania is the first of the three Baltic States to be entrusted with this significant and responsible mission. We face the challenge of this kind for the first time. This is sort of a test to us. Once we pass it, we will no longer be newcomers; we will be an experienced Member State of the European Union.
For the entire half of this year, we will be in charge of the European Unions agenda and we will have to deal with issues relevant for all Europeans. I am also pleased to note that Lithuania is the first Member State to take over the Presidency of the recently enlarged European Union comprising now as many as 28 Member States.
Figures probably speak more loudly of the activeness and business of this Presidency period. Lithuania will have to cope with the challenge of a legislative package of over 350 documents, hitting a record high in volume, to be debated in the Council.
Over 200 events are planned for our Presidency of the Council. High level meetings will gather 34 heads of states and governments, over 800 ministers, more than 10 000 delegation members and over 1 500 media representatives. The working groups of the Council alone will hold over 1 600 meetings.
The Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania has already started implementing an active and ambitious programme of the Presidency. The Seimas will be the venue for a total of nine parliamentary dimension events, including three significant interparliamentary conferences.
Particular focus will be given to the following priorities of the Presidency: strengthening of energy security, effective implementation of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, consolidation of closer relations with Eastern EU neighbours and strengthening of security of external EU borders.
With our colleagues from the national Parliaments of the European Union, the European Parliament and other EU institutions, we will discuss key issues in connection with the common foreign and security policy, economic and financial management, multilingualism and development of regional cooperation. The Seimas will also host the 50th Plenary Meeting of COSAC which will gather members of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of the Parliaments of the EU.
A heated period with heavy workload is ahead of us. Politicians and civil servants from various state institutions will have to deal with heavy workload and great responsibility. It will be up to us to deliver the results we aspire for.
I have no doubts that we are ready and that we will do our job properly thereby sending the message that Lithuania is a responsible and solid partner to be fully trusted.
I have always stressed that the Presidency of the Council of the European Union is not only a chance to prove that we are able to deal with the most difficult tasks and issues; it also gives us an opportunity to introduce our country.
I also believe that after the Lithuanian Presidency, the foreign guests who will have visited Lithuania will be left with the warmest memories of the friendly and good-willing people of our country as well as of their skills and their achievements. They will remember the most beautiful sites of our nature. They will be talking of our culture, its heritage and many other things which Lithuania is well-known for around the world. We have something to show to everyone, something we can be proud of and share with others. I invite you to seize this unique opportunity.
Today, as we mark the start of our Presidency, I would like to thank sincerely Ireland which has completed its Presidency of the Council of the European Union and handed over the responsibility to us. Thank you for your tremendous work and the example you set for us. We are aware that Ireland had to face many difficult tasks and you were excellent at dealing with them.
I would also like to express hope that both Ireland and Greece, which will take over the Presidency from us, will continue to cooperate closely with Lithuania as it was until now in order to fully implement the Trio Presidency Programme lasting18 months. We have to work shoulder to shoulder and not separately, for this is the only way to deliver the best results for the whole Europe.
I believe that we will do so.
In conclusion, I would like to thank the distinguished guests who have come to Lithuania today and who are with us on this special day for us. I would also like to congratulate once again Mr Josip Lepo, Speaker of the Croatian Parliament, representing the country which has recently acceded to the European Union. Please extend our heartfelt wishes to the entire Croatian nation.
Let us work not for the sake of the process, but rather for the result. Let us meet the expectations and hopes of Europeans. Let us prove that the European Union is not only unified but also active.
Thank you.
