Chairs of the Committees on European Affairs of the Baltic and Polish Parliaments discussed migration and energy security issues in Vilnius

Press release, 26 September 2024

On 15–16 September 2024, the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania held a meeting of Chairs of the Committees on European Affairs of the Parliaments of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, organised by the Seimas Committee on European Affairs. The meeting was attended by Žygimantas Pavilionis, Chair of the Seimas Committee on European Affairs, Lithuania, and his counterparts including Peeter Tali from Estonia, Edmunds Cepurītis from Latvia, Agnieszka Pomaska from the Polish Sejm, and Bogdan Klich from the Polish Senate. The discussion centred on energy security, challenges at the external border of the European Union (EU), inter-parliamentary cooperation, and the upcoming Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU.

The meeting was dedicated to the preparation for the COSAC Plenary due to take place in Budapest on 27–29 October 2024. The Committees on European Affairs of the parliaments of the Baltic States and Poland called for a united EU response to address the threats posed by migration, emphasising the need to support Poland in combatting the rise of illegal migration. The Chairs also expressed their shared commitment to reduce the Community’s dependence on Russian liquefied natural gas.

Žygimantas Pavilionis, Chair of the Seimas Committee on European Affairs, noted that ‘Migration along the border segment of our region has surged by nearly 190 percent, with Poland currently bearing the brunt of this influx. It is essential that we extend our support in a spirit of solidarity. Poland is planning to implement specific measures to strengthen this area during its upcoming Presidency.’ He also observed that EU Member States were not yet fully convinced of the security risks and hybrid threats posed by the increasing levels of migration.

 ‘Since May of this year, Russia has become the EU’s largest supplier of liquefied gas, surpassing the United States. Although the EU has constructed seven new terminals in recent years, filling them with Russian gas will not resolve the underlying problem,’ Mr Pavilionis said.

The Chairs also discussed the possibility of extending their cooperation format to the Nordic countries, Germany and the United States. Transatlantic relations and the EU’s ongoing enlargement negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova were identified as key priorities for the region.

‘In light of Poland’s upcoming Presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2025 and Lithuania’s anticipated Presidency in 2027, along with the onset of a new EU institutional cycle, it is essential to enhance cooperation among like-minded nations in our region. The voice of our region must resonate strongly both in Brussels and Washington,’ Mr Pavilionis stressed.

Two important documents were adopted during the meeting:

1. Joint letter regarding the halt of LNG imports from Russia, calling on the EU to reduce its energy dependence on Russia by stopping Russian gas imports; and
2. Statement on the External Border Protection of the European Union, highlighting the need to strengthen the protection of the EU’s external border and to address the threats posed by migration.