This year, Lithuania expects esteemed guests to mark the Centennial of the Restoration of the State. Invitations to attend celebrations of February 16 in Vilnius, extended by President Dalia Grybauskaitė, were accepted by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany, President Andrzej Duda of Poland, President Raimonds Vējonis of Latvia, President Kersti Kaljulaid of Estonia, President Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson of Iceland, President Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine, President Giorgi Margvelashvili of Georgia, President of the European Council Donald Tusk, and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker.

On 21 December 2017, representatives of the Estonian Presidency and the European Parliament reached a provisional deal on the effort sharing regulation to ensure further emission reductions in sectors falling outside the scope of the EU emissions trading system (ETS) for the period 2021-2030. The provisional agreement requires endorsement by member states. EU ambassadors are expected to analyse the text in January.

“This project marks a qualitative step forward in modernising the armed forces, providing it with up-to-date equipment and weaponry, which brings it closer to NATO standards and contributes directly to the enhancement of our common security,” Minister of National Defence Raimundas Karoblis said on December 18 after viewing the first two training Vilkas IFVs delivered to the Lithuanian Armed Forces Vehicle and Equipment Deport in Kaunas.

Lithuanian Minister of National Defence Raimundas Karoblis met with Croatian Minister of Defence and Vice Prime Minister of Croatia Damir Krstičević and Chief of Defence of Croatia General Mirko Šundov who was on a visit to Lithuanina on 28-29 December. During the visit security situation in the Baltic region, bilateral co-operation were planned to discuss.

Estonia has completed its presidency of the Baltic Council of Ministers and passed it over to Lithuania. At the meeting of the Baltic Council of Ministers in Estonia, Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis pointed out Lithuania’s key priorities.

As part of the follow-up to the European Pillar of Social Rights, the European Commission has adopted today a proposal for a new Directive for more transparent and predictable working conditions across the EU. The Commission's proposal complements and modernises existing obligations to inform each worker of his or her working conditions. In addition, the proposal creates new minimum standards to ensure that all workers, including those on atypical contracts, benefit from more predictability and clarity as regards their working conditions.

MEPs and Members of the ACP call for sustainable economic development for the benefit of local communities.

The EPLO in the UK organised a debate in York aimed at understanding the implications of Brexit for the agricultural sector.

At a meeting of the Government on December 20 it was recognised that Kaspersky Lab software is a potential national security threat and managers of critical information infrastructure and state information resources have to replace it with safe equivalents in a short while.

By 76 votes in favour, 7 votes against and 7 abstentions, the Seimas adopted a Resolution on the application of summer-time arrangements on the territory of the Republic of Lithuania (draft No. XIIIP-1288(4)).