Election outcome risks EU Presidency priorities

VILNIUS - Chief advisor on foreign policy to the president, Jovita Neliupsiene, says that Lithuania’s Presidency of the European Union (EU) is both a challenge since Lithuania will be doing it for the first time, and an opportunity because Lithuania will be able to attract support for energy projects. In order to achieve it, parliamentary election results should not influence the priorities of the EU presidency.

“We should hope that the forthcoming elections in Lithuania will not affect the already approved priorities of the presidency, and we will be able to turn this obligation into an opportunity. For example, by securing even greater European support to our energy projects. Not so much support in financial terms, but rather making the projects strategic interests of the entire Europe,” said Neliupsiene in an interview to the news radio Ziniu Radijas, on Tuesday.
Neliupsiene noted that it will be Lithuania’s first time as occupants of the EU presidency, therefore the preparation may be more difficult than for other countries. However, Neliupsiene says that the presidency will help Lithuania grasp its place in Europe.

“The EU Presidency will help us to realize that in fact we are Europeans and Europe is not out there somewhere in Brussels, but (…) in Vilnius, Lithuania,” said the adviser.