Foreign ministers discuss EU solidarity

MALLORCA - Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevicius participated in a round table discussion on the future of the European Union at the invitation of the German and Spanish foreign ministers, reports ELTA. The discussion was attended by EU foreign ministers, representatives of the European Commission and members of the European Parliament, and was held in Mallorca, Spain.

“In the early weeks of holding the Presidency of the EU Council, Lithuania saw that collective effort from all EU member states and institutions is needed to overcome the difficult economic situation,” Linkevicius told participants at the meeting.

The foreign minister stressed that the EU has to strive for more democracy and solidarity in addressing future challenges and to prove to its citizens that timely and effective decisions could be made, as well as to implement effective economic and financial policies ensuring long-term job creation, especially for young people, in EU member states.
Linkevicius underlined that at the end of August, Vilnius will host an informal meeting of ministers for European Affairs, with particular focus on the 2014 European Parliament elections and smooth inter-institutional cooperation.

“Citizens’ active participation in the European Parliament elections is an essential condition for strengthening the democratic legitimacy of the EU. To this end, Lithuania organizes various cultural and educational events, and implements projects in the framework of the European Year of Citizens,” Linkevicius said.

Participants at the meeting adopted a joint declaration calling for EU reform, to make it stronger and more competitive and encourage EU citizens to participate actively in the European Parliamentary elections in 2014.