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L. Andrikienė: ‘Serbia’s EU integration is important for both the whole European Union and Lithuania’

Press release, 26 March 2021

Photo by Olga Posaškova, Office of the Seimas

 

L. Andrikienė, Head of the Seimas Group for Inter-Parliamentary Relations with the Western Balkan Countries, says that Lithuania supports Serbia’s EU integration efforts and is willing to share its experience and contribute to implementing the necessary reforms in this country. Ms Andrikienė underlined this during today’s remote meeting between the Seimas Group for Inter-Parliamentary Relations with the Western Balkan Countries and the Parliamentary Friendship Group with Lithuania at the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia. It was the first parliamentary meeting to be held between Lithuania and Serbia at the level of parliamentary friendship groups.

 

The meeting discussed the opportunities for cooperation between the Serbian and Lithuanian parliamentary friendship groups, as well as the progress and challenges of Serbia’s EU integration.

 

Ms Andrikienė pointed out that Serbia started its EU membership negotiations in 2014, yet the decision of the EU to start the membership negotiations with Serbia had been taken during the first Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2013. The Head of the Seimas Group also stressed the significance of foreign, security and defence policy matters in assessing the candidate’s strategic orientation, the principles and values of the country’s foreign policy, and its future capacity to contribute to the European security and defence policy and join the positions of the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). Moreover, Lithuania expects Serbia and Kosovo to engage in constructive dialogue and reach a legally binding agreement, since the Balkan region is of great importance to Lithuania, the Baltic States and the whole European Union.

 

At the meeting, Valdas Rakutis, Eugenijus Sabutis and Kęstutis Vilkauskas, Members of the Seimas Group, underlined the significance of various aspects of cooperation between Lithuania and Serbia. Mr Sabutis stressed that the two countries shared important values. Mr Vilkauskas was of the opinion that cultural and educational projects could enable young people to get a better mutual understanding about both countries. 

 

Ilija Matejic, Head of the Parliamentary Friendship Group with Lithuania at the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, acknowledged Lithuania’s support for Serbia’s EU membership aspirations. Mr Matejic agreed that although Lithuania and Serbia shared a number of common values and faced common outstanding challenges, such as emigration and declining birth rates, there was a lack of mutual awareness between the two countries. Hence, more intensive contacts would bring Serbia and Lithuania closer together.  

 

The Seimas Group for Inter-Parliamentary Relations with the Western Balkan Countries informed felow Serbian parliamentarians that a Seimas delegation was planning a visit to Serbia in September–October 2021.

 

 

 

Jolita Siriūtė, Chief Specialist, International Relations Unit, Office of the Seimas,

tel. + 370 5 239 6218, e-mail: [email protected]

   Last updated on 04/12/2021 11:56
   Monika Kutkaitytė