UK Minister of Europe visits Lithuania
The UK’s Minister for Europe, Mr David Lidington MP, will be visiting Lithuania from 1 September to 3 September.
The UK’s Minister for Europe, Mr David Lidington MP
The UK’s Minister for Europe, Mr David Lidington MP, will be visiting Lithuania from 1 September to 3 September. This is the first visit to Lithuania by a UK Minister since the UK Coalition Government came to power and the first by a Foreign Office Minister for 5 years.
During the visit the Minister will meet with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronis Ažubilis to discuss a wide range of topics from EU and bilateral issues to Lithuania’s Chairmanship of the OSCE in 2011. Minister Azubalis will also host a lunch for Mr Lidington.
The Minister will meet at the Seimas with members of Parliamentary Committees concerned with EU and foreign affairs.
The Minister’s programme includes a visit to the Barclays Technology Centre, an important example of UK investment in Lithuania; and a visit to the recently-opened European Institute for Gender Equality, the first EU institution to be established in Lithuania.
Mr Lidington will deliver a keynote speech at the Vilnius University Institute of International Relations and Political Science on 2 September. The title of the speech is: “Being ambitious: the EU and our Eastern Neighbours”.
The Minister will reaffirm the support of the British Government for keeping the perspective of EU membership open to the countries of the EU’s Eastern Partnership, if they can meet the necessary criteria. He will say that this is unfinished business for Europe.
Mr Lidington will review the elements of the Eastern Partnership policy and highlight the importance, in particular, of provisions on trade, energy security and efficiency and good governance.