News

On 3-4 October, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius is paying a working visit to Chisinau, where he is attending the 5th annual meeting of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum.

L.Linkevičius presented priorities for the Lithuanian Presidency of the EU Council and stressed that it was important to actively engage civil society in the implementation of the vision of a credible, growing and open Europe, and the Eastern Partnership Initiative as its integral part.

The Lithuanian Foreign Minister invited participants of the forum to be actively engaged in implementing reforms and decision-making process, raising public awareness of the importance and benefits of the conclusion of an Association Agreement with the EU. He emphasized that not only the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius would highlight achievements of the Eastern Partnership, but also serve as a basis for further cooperation including such key principles as joint responsibility and irreversibility of the rapprochement process.

The meeting of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, which is held in one of the participant countries for the first time, is an official side event of the Eastern Partnership Summit to be held in November in Vilnius. Lithuania’s Presidency of the EU Council supports this event politically and financially. The outcomes of the meeting will be presented at the Vilnius Summit.

The event is attended by Stefan Füle, European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy, Natalia Gherman, Moldova’s Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Maia Panjikidze, Foreign Minister of Georgia, and other high-ranking officials of the European Union, Member States, and Partnership countries.

During the visit to Chisinau, L.Linkevičius also met with the Moldovan President Nicolae Timofti, Prime Minister Iurie Leanca, Speaker of the Parliament Igor Corman, and Natalia Gherman. The meetings discussed preparations for the Vilnius Summit, Moldova’s progress towards democratic reform and the country’s major challenges of political association and economic integration with the European Union as well as opportunities to help Moldova overcome the challenges.

The meeting with Moldova’s Prime Minister also discussed bilateral economic cooperation and promotion of Lithuania’s investment in Moldova. Moldovan representatives underlined their commitment to continue on its path towards the EU, thanked Lithuania and the EU for their support, as it is very important for both overcoming external pressure and maintaining public support for European integration.