The leaders exchanged views on the latest proposal of the European Commission for the multiannual EU budget and the European Recovery Fund. The President emphasized that Lithuania’s position on the size of the EU budget remained unchanged: in the face of this unprecedented situation, the multiannual financial framework had to be more ambitious just as the funding for the cohesion policy that is the biggest contributor to economic recovery. According to the President, Lithuania hopes that its position on the convergence of direct payments to farmers and funding for the decommissioning of the Ignalina NPP as well as the Kaliningrad transit project will be taken into account in the multiannual financial perspective.
President Nausėda highlighted the need to ensure that all member states could benefit from the European Recovery Fund based on objective criteria.
The President and the Croatian Prime Minister shared insights on the neighborhood of the European Union, the Eastern Partnership and the Western Balkans. The President said it was necessary to strengthen the strategic role of the EU in the Eastern neighborhood and consistent support for the Eastern Partnership countries, referring to the outcomes of the Eastern Partnership Summit on July 18. The President shared the results of the bilateral talks with the leaders of the Eastern Partnership countries.
The President also reminded the Croatian Prime Minister of the threat posed to the region by the Ostravets NPP and stressed the need to raise this issue of failure to comply with the requirements of EU stress tests at the highest level in the EU.
The leaders also discussed the political and economic aspects of bilateral relations as well as opportunities for the development through the EU Twinning projects in the Western Balkans and strengthening cooperation in the field of energy security. The President proposed to share Lithuania’s successful experience in the implementation of the liquefied gas terminal project with Croatia that is currently building a liquefied gas terminal. The President expressed his sincere gratitude for Croatia’s participation in the battlegroup of the enhanced forward presence battalion in Lithuania as well as for contribution to strengthening the security of our country and the entire Baltic region.