MEPs are set to urge the EU to support the Colombian peace process, condemn protesters’ deaths in Iran and call for reforms of Kenyan electoral process, on Tuesday afternoon.

President Dalia Grybauskaitė received letters of credence from the Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Ayman Alkaffas.

After serving as part of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group in Estonia in 2017, the French contingent is joining the German-led NATO eFP in Lithuania in 2018 to serve alongside other allies’ contingents in Rukla integrated into the Mechanised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf of the Lithuanian Armed Forces.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius congratulated Tudor Ulianovschi on assuming the post of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova on 10 January.

Lithuania will join forces with Estonia and seek new solutions in 2018 to improve security of the Baltic states. On 11 January in Vilnius, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius and Estonian Foreign Minister Sven Mikser held a meeting to discuss the issue.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius congratulated Jacek Czaputowicz on his appointment as the new Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs on 9 January.

On January 3 the Government of the Republic of Lithuania approved the decision to allot nearly EUR 415 thousand for maintenance and development of the Afghan National Security Forces in 2018-2020. The money will be transferred to the Trust Fund Lithuania used to contribute USD 500 thousand payments to in the past. The main contributor to the Trust Fund is the United States of America.

The Council has added 16 persons and one entity, the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces (MPAF), to the lists of those subject to an asset freeze and travel restrictions, transposing part of the new sanctions imposed by UN Security Council resolution 2397 (2017).

Today, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the European Commission adopted a Joint Communication proposing an EU strategy for Iraq in order to address the many challenges the country faces following the territorial defeat of Da'esh.

On January 5 a Danish Air Force Detachment landed with four F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft in Šiauliai Air Base of the Lithuanian Air Force to carry out next rotation of the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states.