Press Releases

Upcoming Danish Presidency of the EU to help Lithuania to secure funding for important energy projects

Thursday, June 30, Vilnius - President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė had a meeting with the Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lene Espersen, who is attending the high-level conference ‘Women Enhancing Democracy: Best Practices' in the Presidential Palace.

The discussion in the meeting centered on energy security, Nordic-Baltic cooperation (NB8) and Lithuanian-Danish bilateral relations.

„Lithuania will act as a coordinator of NB8 activities next year, while Denmark will take over Presidency of the European Union in 2012. This offers a perfect opportunity to implement regional projects of regional importance," the President said at the meeting.

The President and the Danish Foreign Minister agreed to make efforts to ensure that the EU's new financial perspective for 2014-2020 provides for adequate financing of energy projects and proportional distribution of payments to EU countries. According to the President, it is unfair that Lithuanian farmers receive three or even more times lower payments than farmers of other EU countries.

On the President's initiative, Lithuania plans to host a conference of Nordic and Baltic heads of state and government in 2012, focused on energy security of the region and diversification of energy supply.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Lithuania and Denmark.

The Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs passed an invitation from the Danish Prime Minister to President Grybauskaitė to come for an official visit to Denmark.