In preparation for the EU Eastern Partnership Summit on June 18, President Nausėda shared the insights of the leaders of the Eastern Partnership countries on priorities of the initiative, ambitions of the countries and their readiness to implement the reforms.
The President pointed out that with the participation of all EU member states, the EU Eastern Partnership Summit would send an important signal to the Eastern Partnership countries, especially those seeking political association and economic integration. “That is highly important now, when countries struggle to overcome the economic and social consequences of the COVID19 pandemic as well as the disinformation from the third countries. We must show proper attention and step up our support to those countries that are prepared to pursue the European perspective through political, economic and legal reforms,” the President said presenting this position on behalf of the leaders of Poland and the Nordic and Baltic countries (NB6).
The President also raised the safety issue of the Ostravets NPP and expressed concern over the delivery of the nuclear fuel to the construction site of the NPP before the implementation of EU stress test requirements and the conclusions of the European Council of last December calling for all the installations operating in the third countries to comply with the highest international environmental and nuclear safety requirements. The President reiterated his call on the President of the European Commission Ursula von del Leyen for the European institutions to use all the instruments to make Belarus ensure the implementation of EU stress test requirements before the launch of the NPP.
The President also called on Charles Michel to be personally involved in resolution of issues related to the safety of the Ostravets NPP and highlighted the importance of the synchronization project of the Baltic power grid with the continental Europe and the fact that the electricity generated by the third countries in unsafe power plants should not enter the internal market of the EU.
The President also mentioned Lithuania’s ambition to become an EU-wide regional civil safety center in charge of managing nuclear and radiation incidents.
During the conversation, regional recovery plan from social and economic crisis caused by the pandemic was discussed as well as formation principles of the multiannual financial framework and European Recovery Fund in the face of this extraordinary situation.
The President emphasized that the recovery of the EU economy required a financial response adequate to the scale of the crisis, i.e., an increase of the multiannual EU budget and a sufficient European recovery fund were needed. The President also said that the current situation called for a more flexible approach to the use of financial instruments as well as more ambitious funding of cohesion and agriculture policies highlighting the need to create a level playing field for all member states to benefit from the funding of the recovery fund.
