After last week’s failure to reach agreement on the withdrawal treaty and a model for future relations between the European Union and the United Kingdom, Dalia Grybauskaitė underscored the necessity to continue negotiations. A no-deal scenario is the worst possible deal for all sides. Therefore, every effort must be made to negotiate an agreement.
This requires a clear mandate for finding a solution to the Irish border problem and defining the future relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom. According to the President, the British political forces should first decide on their own negotiating position. Only then can we expect the negotiations to be smooth and produce results.
Whatever the final decision, it cannot divide the island of Ireland or create artificial borders. To this end, innovative and equitable solutions are needed which would allow to continue the free movement of goods on the island.
For Lithuania, it is very important that maximally close relations with the United Kingdom are maintained in economic and security fields after Brexit. Lithuania sees the United Kingdom as a key partner for ensuring Baltic security, fighting cyber threats and strengthening Europe’s resilience against external threats.
The two-day European Council will also address external relations, sanctions against Russia, internal security, migration, and border control.
On Friday, the President together with 51 European and Asian leaders will attend the working sessions of the ASEM summit to discuss a wide range of issues, including global security challenges, climate change, migration, sustainable development, inter-continental trade and investment, as well as transport and digital connectivity.
