The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius attended the informal meeting of EU Foreign Affairs Ministers (Gymnich) on 5-6 February in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

On February 4-5, Minister of National Defence Juozas Olekas took part in a meeting of the Ministers of Defence of the European Union in Amsterdam (the Netherlands). The Ministers discussed the EU actions in the Mediterranean and Africa aimed at meeting migration and terrorism challenges stemming from there.

The debate on the upcoming UK referendum on EU membership dominated Parliament´s first February plenary alongside migration, the future of Schengen, the liberalisation of services and car emissions. In addition Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari addressed MEPs. Read on for more details of what happened during this week's plenary session.

Mrs Loreta Graužinienė, Speaker of the Seimas, together with the Speakers of the Nordic and Baltic Parliaments (NB 8), continues her visit to Kiev where she has met with the President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko. The meeting focussed on the implementation of the Minsk agreements, security situation, and the ongoing Russia's aggression in Ukraine. Since the beginning of this year, 12 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and 40 injured in eastern Ukraine.

At the meetings between the Baltic and Nordic (NB8) Speakers of Parliaments and the highest ranking Ukrainian officials in Kiev, Loreta Graužinienė, Speaker of the Seimas, highlighted the necessity of political stability in Ukraine and determination to continue the vital reforms.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius and the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović, who is visiting Vilnius on 2 February, discussed imminent threats of propaganda and premeditated disinformation, and the need to strengthen independent and fair media, which was especially relevant in today's context of ongoing events in the EU's eastern neighbours.

On 31 January – 1 February, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Mantvydas Bekešius visited the capital of Sweden, where he met with representatives of the Lithuanian community in Stockholm and attended the annual meeting of Lithuanian Honorary Consuls in Sweden. The Vice-Minister also met with the Director-General for Asylum and Migration Policy of the Ministry of Justice of Sweden Ola Henrikson.

European Central Bank President Mario Draghi presents his 2014 annual report to Parliament on Monday 1 February. A debate with MEPs will follow and likely focus on low inflation and the ECB's quantitative easing programme for reviving the economy. The proceedings will be streamed live on our website.

On January 28, Minister of National Defence Juozas Olekas and Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics of the United States Alan F. Estevez discussed the host nation support and infrastructure Lithuania provides for allied forces deployed here at a meeting in Lithuania.

Lithuania's Social Democratic Minister of Health Rimante Salaseviciuciute has decided to resign on January 29th.