The diplomats from the "Antici" group met their counterparts from the "Mertens" group in a match organized by Nerijus Aleksiejūnas and Neringa Majauskaitė, the "Antici" and "Mertens" representatives of the Lithuanian Presidency. "Antici" team scored 14 points while "Mertens" team 12.
"It was the first time when my colleagues from "Antici" and "Mertens" groups played basketball. We tried to show to our colleagues how to play basketball and why this sport is so important for Lithuania," said Mr. Aleksiejūnas, Minister Counsellor at the Permanent Representation of Lithuania to the EU.
The basketball evening was kicked off by a training session led by Vaidotas Verba, ambassador-at-large in charge of preparing the Eastern Partnership summit, a key event of the Presidency. Basketball enthusiasts from the Permanent Representation of Lithuania also shared their personal playing tips and techniques. It was then followed by a shooting competition.
The evening was wrapped up with the screening of "The Other Dream Team", a documentary about the Lithuanian basketball team winning bronze medals in the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games where the Lithuanian athletes competed for the first time as proud representatives of the independent country after decades of playing in the Soviet national team. Basketball is popularly referred to as "second religion" in Lithuania.
"Antici" group, composed of representatives of the Member States, the EU Council Secretariat and Legal Service, the European Commission and the External Action Service, prepares meetings of the Permanent Representatives Committee at Permanent Representatives level (COREPER II) while "Mertens" group prepares meetings of the Committee at Deputy Permanent Representatives level (COREPER I).
