New rules to ensure that public funding for European political parties and foundations is used properly were approved by the European Parliament on Tuesday.

Vice Minister of National Defence Vytautas Umbrasas discussed the security situation in the Baltic region and further security enhancement initiatives in the framework of NATO and the EU at a meeting with Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service Pedro Serrano and Deputy NATO Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller in Brussels on April 9-11.

At April’s sitting of Parliament in Strasbourg, MEPs debate the future of Europe with French President Emmanuel Macron. They also vote on measures to boost recycling and curb CO2 emissions.

Dr Mindaugas Puidokas, representative of the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LFGU) Political Group of the Seimas to NATO Parliamentary Assembly, appealed to Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General, and members of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, informing them that the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union Political Group, in its capacity of the largest political group in the governing coalition of the Lithuanian Parliament, welcomed NATO’s major role in ensuring peace and security in Europe in general and in the Baltic Sea region in particular.

On April 11-13 Minister of National Defence R.Karoblis is conducting a visit in Ukraine in the delegation of the Prime Minister and will attend meetings with the President, Prime Minister, and members of the Parliament of Ukraine.

On 10 April 2010, Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis submitted the Government Annual Performance Report to the Seimas. The Report highlights that the year 2017 was particularly successful for the Lithuanian economy. Moreover, the tasks and structural reforms (in taxation, innovation, education, health, pension system and reduction of the new shadow economy) planned by the Government for 2018 will significantly contribute to a better quality of life of each person in Lithuania.

At its meeting with a delegation of the Committee on Budgetary Control of the European Parliament, the Committee on European Affairs discussed the course of developments in the decommissioning projects of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). Members of the Committee on European Affairs and chairs of other Seimas committees stressed the progress achieved in implementing the projects in the Ignalina NPP and their importance for the national security of Lithuania and for the security of the whole European Union.

By observing a minute of silence at its sitting, the Seimas paid tribute to the memory of the Polish President Lech Kaczyński and other Polish citizens who died in an air crash eight years ago.

President Dalia Grybauskaitė met with President Emmanuel Macron of France at the Élysée Palace and attended working lunch of the French and Baltic Presidents. At the Élysée Palace, the leaders of the Baltic states discussed President Macron’s proposals on reforming the EU’s future, enhancing security and bilateral cooperation.

Common asylum system. A new draft regulation establishing a common single procedure for asylum claims, as part of the review of the Common European Asylum System, will be put to the vote in the Civil Liberties Committee. The new rules aim to avoid so-called asylum-shopping and would simplify and shorten asylum procedures and offer guarantees for asylum seekers. The draft regulation also clarifies and harmonises the concept of safe countries of origin. (Thursday)