Visits

Working visit by President Dalia Grybauskaitė to Warsaw, 27 May 2011

President Dalia Grybauskaitė went on a working visit to Warsaw to attend the 17th Meeting of Presidents of Central European States.

The purpose of the meeting was to make an overview of political transformations and democratic changes that took place in Central Europe over the past 20 years, to share European integration experience, and to discuss the European neighborhood policy.

According to President Grybauskaitė, it is important that this highest-level Central European forum was attended - for the first time ever - by all of the three Baltic countries: Lithuania was invited to it for the second time, while Latvia and Estonia for the first time. As the President said, closer cooperation between the Baltic Sea region and Central Europe is beneficial to Lithuania.

Addressing the Summit, the Lithuanian President urged Central European countries aspiring for the EU and NATO membership to make their best during the integration period to implement internal reforms of vital importance.

Particular focus in the meeting was on nuclear energy security issues. The President of Lithuania underlined an open and benevolent international cooperation in ensuring nuclear safety offered a new opportunity to strengthen mutual confidence in the region.

"Safe nuclear energy is a shared responsibility of the international community. We cannot put security and the surrounding environment of our citizens at risk. By applying the highest security standards to all nuclear power plants both in the EU and in its neighborhood, by sharing information, and by guaranteeing transparency we will not only contribute to creating a safer future for our citizens but will also strengthen mutual trust among countries," President Dalia Grybauskaitė said.

According to the President, Lithuania, which holds the chairmanships of the OSCE and the Community of Democracies this year, has a special role and responsibility to consolidate peace and stability and to promote democracy in Europe and the rest of the world. The President called on Europe to seek, by united efforts and actively, only peaceful resolution of protracted conflicts, by way of negations.

The President also highlighted the Lithuanian OSCE Chairmanship approach towards the freedom of press, safety of journalists, fight against drug trafficking, stronger energy and cyber security.

Addressing Central European heads of states in their meeting in the Polish capital city, President Dalia Grybauskaitė named the growing nationalism and nuclear energy security issues as serious threats to the economic and democratic development in Europe.

"Hostile nationalism was mentioned here more than once as one of the largest obstacles for successful development of relations among European countries. I share this view as signs of nationalism can even be seen in relations among the European Union's Member States. I strongly believe we have to look for what unites, and not divides, us in Europe. Lessons of history and the current protracted conflicts are vivid examples of the political deadlock of nationalism," the President of Lithuania said in Warsaw.

As other threats to democracy the President mentioned energy isolation and nuclear energy security problems. The President urged all Central European countries to join the initiative proposed by Lithuania and already supported by the EU concerning safety tests to be performed on all nuclear power plants, whether in the EU or in the neighboring countries, whether old or still under construction.

As part of her working to Warsaw, the President also attended a trilateral meeting of the Presidents of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

During the trilateral meeting of the Baltic Presidents that took place in the Lithuanian Embassy in Warsaw, President Grybauskaitė underlined the importance of further cooperation among the Baltic States in the field of security and energy.

"In the light of the upcoming NATO Summit scheduled next year in the USA, I invited the Baltic countries to continue maintaining uniform position regarding anti-missile defense and NATO-Russian relations in this field. It is very important for Lithuania's interests that security for NATO allies is guaranteed by the Alliance, not by Russia," President Dalia Grybauskaitė said.

According to the President, energy independence and the related regional development projects such as electricity connections between the Baltic and Nordic countries or the construction of a liquefied gas terminal are no less important for the Baltic states.

Other issues discussed at the Baltic meeting included joint actions in the negotiations for the EU's next financial perspective, seeking to make sure that appropriate EU support is allocated for the Baltic countries for the period beginning in 2014.

Later in the evening, President Dalia Grybauskaitė attended a meeting of Central European heads of state with US President Barack Obama.

At the working dinner the Lithuanian President underlined that NATO anti-missile defense must cover all Allies. According to the President, NATO-Russian relations are particularly important for Lithuania owing to its strategically special location on the boundary of the Alliance's territory. The President said the agreement reached in the NATO Lisbon Summit must not be changed and must not become the object of negotiations with Russia.

"NATO countries must defend themselves, and Russia must defend itself," President Dalia Grybauskaitė said.

According to President Grybauskaitė, the US President said commenting Lithuania‘s position that he had the opportunity to discuss the issue with the Russian President during the recent G-8 meeting in France. The Lithuanian President said US President Obama assured that the US position remained the same as agreed in Lisbon, i.e. cooperation with Russia is based on sharing information, not dividing into defense sectors and not creating joint integrated anti-missile defense systems. According to the Lithuanian President, the meeting in Warsaw confirmed once again the meaningfulness of Lithuania's position and revealed good prospects of further cooperation with partners of the Alliance as it prepares for the upcoming NATO Summit next year and as it continues to strengthen security of the Allies.