Lithuania's Foreign Vice-Minister presented priorities of Lithuania's Council of the European Union, particularly emphasizing the EU's role in the Eastern Neighbourhood.
Krivas noted the importance of the Eastern Partnership initiative in the EU's relations with its six Eastern neighbours. According to the Foreign Vice-Minister, Lithuania's incoming Presidency will seek ways to further strengthen the implementation of the initiative and specific objectives. The Lithuanian diplomat drew attention to the importance of the Association Agreements, including Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas, for democratic transition and underlined the significance of the irreversibility of reforms in the Eastern Partnership countries.
At the Conference, the Lithuanian Foreign Vice-Minister met with Petrit Selimi, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo, and discussed with him topical security issues in the region.
On 19 April, Krivas also met with the United States Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation Thomas M. Countryman.
Countryman stressed the successful cooperation between Lithuania and the U.S. against the proliferation of illegal substances. In the near future, this cooperation will be crowned with the signing of the Joint Action Plan. According to Countryman, this plan will further strengthen Lithuania's capacity to combat illicit trafficking in nuclear and radioactive materials, and contribute to regional and global security.
The meeting discussed the possibility of cooperation between Lithuania and the U.S. through the Centre of Excellence (COE) for Nuclear Security in Medininkai, potential partnership models for countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, issues related to the Middle East and North Africa, as well as other important issues on the international agenda.
On 20 April, Krivas opened a discussion on Georgia and Moldova.
Founded eight years ago, the Global Security Forum is a unique foreign policy and security platform, giving a Central European twist to the strategic debate on transatlantic foreign policy, economy and security. The GLOBSEC 2013 Bratislava Global Security Forum assembled a wide array of highest-ranking officials, experts on foreign and security policy, researchers and business leaders. The Forum focused on issues central to transatlantic and regional cooperation, European economic prospects, new threats to cyber security, China's role in the global financial crisis, NATO's post-ISAF role, and issues related to the Middle East and North Africa.
www.urm.lt