Visits

Working visit by President Dalia Grybauskaitė to the European Council, Brussels, 8-9 December 2011

Early Friday morning, the heads of state or government of EU Member States in the capital of Belgium agreed on stringent financial discipline and saving measures needed to overcome the debt crisis in the eurozone.

President Dalia Grybauskaitė underlined that a joint agreement on more stringent financial discipline reached this morning showed the EU's united political will to assume responsibility for the future of Europe's economy as well as determination to deal promptly with the issues of the eurozone debt crisis. According to the President, this is a very significant step forward we have long waited for.

"I am delighted that an absolute majority of the EU Member States understand the complicated situation in which Europe's economy is today and have made a very important step forward to enhance the fiscal and economic discipline and responsible financial behavior," the President said.

During further discussions it was proposed to apply this agreement to seventeen eurozone countries which can be joined by the remaining EU Member States determined to adhere to responsible economic and fiscal policies. According to the President, this is a proof that Europe is uniting and will cooperate more closely in economic policy coordination matters.

Dalia Grybauskaitė said that Baltic and Nordic countries, distinguished by responsible financial governance, upheld the European Council decisions as inevitable in order to prevent further deepening of the EU debt crisis.

The heads of state or government of EU Member States in the capital of Belgium approved Lithuania's proposal to include in the European Council statement the provision that energy isolation of the EU regions should be ended by 2015.

President Dalia Grybauskaitė, participating in the European Council meeting on Thursday and Friday, stressed that such decision meant a strong political support by the European Union to Lithuania's aspiration for ensuring energy security.

"Power interconnections with Sweden and Poland, integration of the Baltic countries into the West European energy system have great political and economic significance to Lithuania. Upon ensuring an alternative energy supply we will reduce our dependence on a single gas supplier and prevent using energy as a tool of political influence," the President said.

According to Dalia Grybauskaitė, after attaining political support from the European Union we will seek financial assistance under the EU financial framework for the projects that are important for Lithuania's energy security.

In the European Council statement account was also taken of Lithuania's another proposal - to include the EU's neighboring countries in the nuclear safety ensuring process. The European Union will seek to assess how the nuclear power plants in its neighborhood, including the new NPP projects in Astravets and Kaliningrad, comply with stringent international safety requirements for technologies, personnel, construction and maintenance.

The leaders of 27 EU countries also signed Croatia's Accession Treaty. According to the President, Croatia will be a member of the EU as of 1 July 2013, the day when Lithuania starts its presidency of the EU.