"I am certain that strong relations between our countries is the foundation of the security in our region and I am happy that security and defence cooperation between our countries has always been developed in the spirit of openness and confidence, and mutual support," Minister of National Defence Juozas Olekas said at the meeting with Minister of National Defence of Poland Antoni Macierewicz in Lublin on January 25.

On 22 January 2016, the Committee on European Affairs and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Seimas held a joint meeting with the participation of Gijsbert Hendrik Christiaan van der Lingen, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Lithuania, and André Flammang, Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Luxembourg. The ambassadors presented to members of the Committees the achievements of the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the priorities of the Dutch Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which has recently started.

On 20 January in Vilnius, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius and Ukraine's new Ambassador to Lithuania Volodymyr Yatsenkivskiy discussed the implementation of the Minsk agreements and deteriorating security situation in eastern Ukraine.

On 18 January in Brussels, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius attended the EU's Foreign Affairs Council, which discussed Syria, Iraq and Ukraine.

In a week squeezed between two Strasbourg plenary sessions, MEPs discuss, among other issues, the Danish plan to seize asylum seekers' assets, in compensation for the costs of their stay in the country. In other news, Parliament's Legal Affairs committee votes on the protection of companies from the misuse of their trade secrets, and the Budget Control committee examine cases of fraud against the EU budget . Find out about the main topics in Parliament this week.

The submission by Lithuania to the Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Frantz Douglas of an Initial Memorandum, setting out Lithuania's position on each OECD legal instrument in force, took place on 21 January in Paris. This is the starting point of technical discussions.

The rule of law and media independence in Poland was discussed during January's plenary session in Strasbourg this week. Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydło rejected criticism of her government's policies during the heated debate. Meanwhile Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte vowed to tackle the refugee crisis during a presentation of his country's programme for the EU presidency, while MEPs also called for the sugar content of baby foods to be reduced.

Daiva Raudonienė, Secretary General of the Seimas, visited Israel at the invitation of Ronen Plot, Director General of the Knesset. The Secretary General brought the Memorandum of Understanding signed by Loreta Graužinienė, Speaker of the Seimas, and Yuli-Yoel Edelstein, Speaker of the Knesset, and presented it to Mr Plot.