Empowering women and girls in the media and ICT sectors is the theme of Parliament’s 2018 International Women’s Day celebrations. Also on this week’s agenda are Brexit and migration.

To combat terrorism financing, MEPs are zeroing in on money laundering and organised crime. Discover the concrete measures proposed by Javier Nart in our interview.

President Dalia Grybauskaitė met with the leaders of parliamentary committees for European and foreign affairs. Such working meetings are held regularly to discuss Lithuania’s position on pressing international policy issues.

Parliament elected Polish MEP Zdzisław Krasnodębski (ECR) as its Vice-President on Thursday with 276 votes in favour. He replaces Mr Ryszard Czarnecki.

On 26 February in Brussels, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius participated in the EU's Foreign Affairs Council meeting. The Council discussed Moldova, the Middle East peace process, and Venezuela.

MEPs will this week debate the future EU budget and composition of the Parliament as well as vote on measures to fight tax avoidance and protect the EU´s apiculture sector.

President Dalia Grybauskaitė is attending an informal European Council meeting in Brussels where the political priorities of the EU's new long term budget are discussed. Dalia Grybauskaitė presented Lithuania’s most important needs to EU leaders.

Following the wish of Secretary-General Alexander Italianer to retire, the European Commission appointed Martin Selmayr as its new Secretary-General, while President Juncker appointed Clara Martinez Alberola as his new Head of Cabinet and Richard Szostak as his new Deputy Head of Cabinet.

On 21 February, in his capacity as Chair of the Ad Hoc Investigation Commission, assigned to carry out a parliamentary investigation into the management and financial and economic activities of the Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), Arvydas Nekrošius, Member of the Seimas, has addressed international journalist and broadcasting organisations. The Chair of the Commission has invited the organisations to send their observers to attend the meetings of the Ad Hoc Commission. The invitations have been extended to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), representing 73 broadcasters from across the world, and the Reporters Without Borders, an international media monitoring organisation.

President Dalia Grybauskaitė is leaving for Brussels to attend the informal European Council meeting. EU leaders will discuss the political priorities of the multiannual financial framework and institutional issues. The President will also participate in the international high level conference on strengthening support to Africa’s Sahel countries.