News

Tuesday, February 25, Vilnius - Tomorrow, February 26 at 17:30 hours, President Dalia Grybauskaitė will meet with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy.

After a few months, on July 1, Lithuania will assume the presidency of the EU Council for the first time. Therefore, the meeting will focus mainly on the key work to be done during Lithuania's presidency and its readiness for this responsible mission.

The Lithuanian and EU leaders will also discuss the economic and political situation in Europe as well as issues relating to the Economic and Monetary Union. Lithuania will take over the presidency at a time of extreme difficulty for Europe when solutions aimed at striking the balance between financial discipline and economic growth as well as implementing the multiannual EU budget will have to be found.

Among the other issues on the meeting agenda will be the national priorities during Lithuania's presidency - energy security, Eastern Partnership, the Baltic Sea Region Strategy, and the EU's external borders control.

The two leaders will also open debate "What Europe Do We Want?" devoted to the Lithuanian presidency of the EU Council. This will be the first public debate held on the future of Europe at such a high level in Lithuania.

The Lithuanian and European Council Presidents, politicians, political analysts, experts, representatives of various Lithuanian institutions and students will exchange views on the benefits of deeper European integration, possible ways to coordinate economic policies more closely, and Lithuania's role in this process.

The debate will take place on February 26 at 18:30 hours in the Column Hall at the Presidential Palace. It will be broadcast live on the Lithuanian Television and streamed on the website: http://www.lrt.lt/mediateka/tiesiogiai/lrt-kultura, with translation into Lithuanian, and: http://www.lrt.lt/mediateka/tiesiogiai/lrt-lituanica, in original (English) language.

Press Service of the President