Permanent Representation of Lithuania to the EU

We invite you ➡️ to check out the newest edition of our weekly newsletter "News from the European 🇪🇺 Affairs Capital". In the current edition you will find: ☑️ Last European Council of 2024; ☑️ Foreign and General Affairs Councils in Brussels; ☑️ Energy, Agriculture, Justice and Home Affairs; ☑️ EU trade news, events & much more. Link to the newsletter ⬇️ below in the comments (content in Lithuanian). Happy Holidays and see you next year! ✨ #LithuaniaInEU #LTPermRepEU #LTinEU

Here we are at the end of another season 🎄 here in Brussels. And this year has been a year of great things to be proud of and happy about. But we can, and must, also take time to reflect, with the aim of making 2025 a much better, more successful, and most importantly, an overall victorious year. This year our #Christmas get-together was a little different. We invited all colleagues to bring a small, quick-to-use 🎁 gift. And then, during the Christmas charity auction, these gifts could be "bought" by anyone in the team for as much money as possible. This year's Blue / Yellow for Ukraine holiday slogan "fight not for gifts, but for Ukraine" inspired us a lot, so we decided to donate all the donated money to this organisation. Because we all truly believe in #Ukraine's 🇺🇦 victory and we are striving for it together. We would like to wish you all a peaceful and cozy holidays surrounded by your loved ones. Also, joyful end of 2024 and a happy and successful beginning of 2025 ✨. #LTinEU #LithuaniaInEU #LTPermRepEU

We invite you to check out our weekly selection ✅ of the TOP news about #Lithuania 🇱🇹. Here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dC2VUX6y See you next year! 👋 #LTinEU #LithuaniaInEU #LTPermRepEU

Gruodį Briuselyje, nepaisant artėjančių švenčių, darbas verda. Vyksta paskutiniai Tarybų ir Coreper posėdžiai, o COM tik pradeda darbą, todėl visi domisi naujienomis ir spėlioja, ko tikėtis iš jos mandato. O kad tarp darbų nepasimestų dalinuosi naujiena apie patvirtintą Pakuočių ir pakuočių atliekų reglamentą. #packaging #PPWR

💬 "The EU’s second major priority should be to ensure the continuation of strong transatlantic ties. This requires maintaining close cooperation with the United States of America. Additionally, close coordination between the EU and NATO, as well as increased European investment and spending on defense and military mobility, are also essential," President 🇱🇹 Gitanas Nausėda stressed during #EUCO in Brussels, outlining the EU’s 🇪🇺 future priorities. 📌 The President emphasized that the European Union must continue to enhance its support for #Ukraine and position itself as the strongest advocate for an international order rooted in the principles of law. According to the Head of State, this approach is a key prerequisite for strengthening the EU and its role on the global stage. 📌 President Nausėda said that the #EU must make every effort to prevent the formation of an emerging alliance among Russia, Belarus, China, Iran, North Korea, and other authoritarian regimes, while imposing strict sanctions on enablers and accomplices of Russia’s war of aggression. 📌 He highlighted the need to reassess the EU’s strategy towards China by explicitly acknowledging its threat to #European security. The Lithuanian leader proposed prioritizing mutually beneficial strategic partnerships, which are possible with like-minded countries in the Indo-Pacific region. 📌 The President also addressed the situation in #Georgia with European leaders, reiterating Lithuania’s call for new elections and for an independent international investigation into the irregularities surrounding the previous elections. 📌 President Nausėda emphasized his support for the fall of the brutal regime in #Syria, and called for the EU’s approach to be based on conditional cooperation with the new Syrian authorities, with a view to countering the anti-Western narratives promoted by Russia and Iran. #LTinEU #LithuaniaInEU #LTPermRepEU

💬 "The European Global Gateway instrument is a quality infrastructure offer to our partners across the globe, supporting strategic initiatives and investments that contribute to improving connectivity worldwide and are in line with the European Union's policy priorities. The endorsement of Green Energy Park as a Flagship project of the EU presents a significant opportunity to accelerate energy transition and foster prosperous partnership between Europe and Brazil. It also enables Lithuanian and other European businesses to contribute to the construction of this sustainable and green supply chain" stated Gediminas Varvuolis, Ambassador at Large for Connectivity at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania | #StandWithUkraine. The Council of the European Union ☑️ approved 46 Global Gateway flagship projects for 2025, endorsing Green Energy Park as a reference project for Climate and Energy. Green Energy Park has been recognized as a flagship project under the EU's "Climate and Energy" category of the Global Gateway with its transformative undertaking to produce renewable hydrogen at a gigawatt scale. The project's objective is to leverage green hydrogen to deepen industrial value chains in its dedicated region, Brazil - South America. The #EU's 🇪🇺 Global Gateway connectivity strategy promotes public and private investment in infrastructure aiming to contribute to sustainable development goals and to promote smart, clean and trusted connections across the world. It intends to mobilize up to €300 billion in investments worldwide between 2021 and 2027. Read more - link below in the comments. #LTinEU #LithuaniaInEU #LTPermRepEU

President Gitanas Nausėda participated in the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Brussels, which focused on the #EU’s 🇪🇺 engagement with the region, as well as on Common Foreign and Security Policy, and the #European integration of individual countries in the region. #Lithuania 🇱🇹 strongly supports the aspirations of the Western Balkan countries to become members of the European Union. The EU enlargement has to be merit-based, with a particular focus on the implementation of the EU’s core values and essential reforms, especially strengthening the rule of law and anti-corruption. The President stressed that, in order to ensure closer cooperation, it is important for the countries seeking EU membership to demonstrate a principled position in terms of Russia’s war against #Ukraine 🇺🇦. Gitanas Nausėda urged the leaders of the Western Balkan countries to enforce the EU sanctions against Russia and to prevent any attempts to circumvent them. More details - link below in the comments. #LTinEU #LithuaniaInEU #LTPermRepEU

Sifted writes 💬 #Lithuania is the happiest country for people under the age of 30, according to a recent report. Although one of #Europe’s smaller countries, there are a number of reasons that Lithuania speaks to younger generations, ranging from a healthy work-life balance and rich culture to a high quality of living. In particular, Lithuania 🇱🇹 can appeal to the most recent generation of tech talent, thanks to its innovative startup sphere and long-term potential for people looking to build a career and raise a family there. Here’s why young tech employees should set their 🎯 sights on Lithuania. Read the full article - link below in the comments. #LTinEU #LithuaniaTravel #WorkInLithuania

During the General Affairs Council #GAC in Brussels, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Sigitas Mitkus stressed that, as the #EU 🇪🇺 enters a new political cycle, we need to ensure the continuation of long-term military and financial support to #Ukraine 🇺🇦, sanctions against Russia, accountability for war crimes and aggression, and accelerate the use of frozen Russian assets for Ukraine. The Vice-Minister also underlined the need to further strengthen EU defence and security, and the need for EU co-borrowing for the defence industry. Referring ☑️ to the leaders' discussions and decisions at the EUCO on 19 December, the Vice-Minister said 💬 "Together with our transatlantic partners, we must intensify our assistance to Ukraine and support Ukraine's Peace Formula, Victory and Resilience Plans, which offer a concrete and realistic path to a just and lasting peace." At the meeting, the Vice-Minister also highlighted other important issues on the agenda of the forthcoming EVT, including the situation in #Georgia and #Moldova, the EU's role in the world, and the EU's resilience, particularly in the context of hybrid threats. The Vice-Minister stressed that #Lithuania 🇱🇹 seeks a strong EU response to the democratic decline in Georgia. More information - link below in the comments. #LTinEU #LithuaniaInEU #LTPermRepEU

On 16 of December, in Brussels💡the Energy Council (TTE) was held, where EU ministers 🇪🇺 in charge of energy issues discussed: ❇️ Geothermal energy topic. 🔋Mr. Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), presented a report on the future of geothermal energy. 🌿The EU ministers unanimously approved the Council conclusions on the promotion of geothermal energy. The Council called on the Commission to draw up a comprehensive EU strategy on the decarbonisation of heating and cooling sector. ❇️ Ministers discussed on the future of energy policy in view of a genuine energy union. 🇪🇺They exchanged views on the priorities for the next legislative cycle and discussed how these can help build the energy union. ❇️ Over lunch, ministers informally discussed electricity market developments, together with Mr. Christian Zinglersen, director of the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER). ✅ Ministers received: ▶️ information on the EU action plan on grids. ▶️ update from the Commission on winter preparedness ❄️ and recent developments in international energy relations. 💼 ▶️ information on the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan) Conference, which took place in November, 2024. ✅ Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands informed ministers on the need for exporting cleaner fuels 🌱, as a commitment to public health and the environment. ✅ Austria, together with Czechia and Slovakia, raised a point on the impact of the gas storage neutrality charge and the need for better coordination at European level. ✅ Incoming presidency, Poland 🇵🇱🇪🇺presented its work programme on energy for the 1rst half of 2025. #EnergySecurity #EnergyUnion #RenewableEnergySources #EnergyCouncil