Jonas Jarutis, Member of the Committee on European Affairs, at LXXI COSAC: Open strategic autonomy must align with and adequately respond to the EU’s enlargement and neighbourhood policies

Press release, 26 March 2024

On 26 March 2024, the second day of the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for European Union Affairs (COSAC) LXXI was held in Brussels, Belgium. Among the participants was the Lithuanian delegation led by Radvilė Morkūnaitė-Mikulėnienė, Deputy Speaker of the Seimas and Chair of the Committee on European Affairs. The delegation consisted of Arminas Lydeka, Deputy Chair of the Committee, Jonas Jarutis, Member of the Committee and Deputy Speaker of the Seimas, and Algirdas Sysas, Member of the Committee.

Mr Jarutis, addressing the topic of open strategic autonomy, underscored, ‘The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine serves as a painful reminder of how economic dependence can be exploited to undermine the EU’s economy and discourage political decisions aimed at countering aggressors.’

The politician stressed, that ‘the EU must learn from its past mistakes and strive to diversify its economic ties to prevent similar occurrences in the future. In an evolving geopolitical landscape, fostering free, rules-based and fair trade is a prerequisite for the EU’s security of supply and diversification. Moreover, attracting new enterprises and employment opportunities to Europe would mitigate its external vulnerabilities.’
Mr Jarutis pointed out that in the discourse on open strategic autonomy it is imperative to ensure that this vision is based on universal values, namely, respect for democracy and adherence to common rules. He underscored, ‘For Lithuania, open strategic autonomy means a primary focus on cooperation with nations sharing similar values, in particular the United States.’

Concluding his speech, he noted that ‘open strategic autonomy must align with and adequately respond to the EU’s enlargement and neighbourhood policy guidelines.’

COSAC (Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union) is a regular conference enabling national Parliaments and the European Parliament to exchange information and good practices. The Conference may submit any proposal to the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission.

Belgium is holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU from 1 January to 30 June 2024.
 

Martynas Lukoševičius, Adviser, Office of the Seimas Committee on European Affairs,
tel. +370 5 209 6881