"Today we are facing many new challenges. Europe is confronted with a real threat - the rattling of arms is heard in our neighborhood, the territory of a sovereign country has been annexed. Brutal aggression in Crimea flings Europe back to the mid-20th century. It prompts us to rethink our policy, speed up implementation of energy projects and deepen economic cooperation," the President said.
According to the President, in the face of Russia's aggression against Ukraine it is particularly important for Europe to maintain solidarity and continue coordinating actions. If Russia further pursues its destructive policy, pressure will have to be stepped up.
President Grybauskaitė underlined that in the current situation the EU had to revise its policy, notably in the energy sphere. Energy security is more important than ever before. It is therefore crucial to complete the EU internal energy market as soon as possible and to end energy isolation of some member states. To this end, Lithuania has taken concrete steps - a liquefied natural gas terminal will be launched in Klaipėda at the end of this year, power interconnections with Poland and Sweden are under construction.
Key achievements of the Lithuanian EU Presidency were also reviewed at the meeting. Among the achievements is progress in creating a banking union. The union is a historic step towards a strong and more integrated Europe.
