Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius rejects any fears heard in Lithuania and abroad that after the introduction of the new currency the country will lose its competitiveness. According to the PM, wages in Lithuania are growing faster now because they are being returned to the pre-crisis level.

This week MEPs are discussing a number of issues that need to be finalised during the last plenary session of the year which commences in Strasbourg next Monday. Among the issues on this week's agenda are the on-going budget negotiations between the Parliament and Council, a resolution on migration responsibilities and appointments to the banking union's Single Resolution Board. At the Conference of Presidents Jean-Claude Juncker will present the Commission's programme of work for 2015.

On December 8-9, President Dalia Grybauskaitė will make an official visit to Turkey where she will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and will open the Lithuania - Turkey business forum. The main purpose of this visit is to strengthen political, economic and cultural cooperation between the two countries and explore new opportunities for boosting bilateral trade. The President will be accompanied by a delegation of 22 business representatives from Lithuania.

The High Representative of the European Union for the Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Vice President of the Commission, Federica Mogherini, has decided to appoint Catherine Ashton as her Special Advisor for facilitating the nuclear talks with Iran, following the extension of the agreement on 24November.

On Thursday, the Seimas in Lithuania changed the taxes payable for hydrocarbons, including shale gas and petroleum, extracted in Lithuania.

Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius has met with Ambassador of the Republic of Ireland, David Noonan, embarking on his diplomatic mission in Lithuania, to discuss the current bilateral relations and possibilities for further development of economic cooperation, need for bilateral investment, as well as the latest geopolitical issues.

President Dalia Grybauskaitė attended a meeting of the Presidents of the three Baltic States. This year, President Bronisław Komorowski of Poland is also invited to take part in the traditional meeting the main purpose of which is to discuss regional security measures.

Last Friday Grzegorz Schetyna, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs, met with Valdemar Tomaševski, Chairman of the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania and Member of the European Parliament.

President Dalia Grybauskaitė met with the new Speaker of the Latvian Saeima, Ināra Mūrniece. The meeting focused on the security situation in the region, the upcoming Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and the implementation of bilateral projects.

Seimas Speaker Loreta Grauziniene says that cooperation between the Seimas of Lithuania and the state Duma of Russia is almost non-existent.