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Foreign affairs

Lithuania to focus on protection of civilians during its May presidency in UN Security Council

On 1 May, Lithuania takes over the Presidency of the United Nations Security Council. During the month of Presidency Lithuania intends to focus on protection of civilians – safety of journalists in conflict situations, threat posed by small arms and light weapons to the civilian population; as well as ways to combat the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters, possible links between organised crime and human trafficking in the Mediterranean, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. […]

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European Union

Lithuania to help look for refugee problem solution, foreign minister says

Lithuania will look for ways to contribute to the EU and the international community’s efforts to resolve the refugee problem, the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevičius said on Monday in Luxembourg during a Foreign Affairs Council meeting. […]

Linas Linkevičius
Foreign affairs

Minister Linkevičius thanks Japan for lending support to Lithuania’s OECD membership

On 15 April, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius in a meeting with Parliamentary Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Kentaro Sonoura expressed his gratitude to Japan for supporting Lithuania’s ambition to join the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and noted that Lithuania was looking forward to mutually beneficial cooperation within the OECD. […]

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Opinion

Opinion: Sweden – a moral superpower?

Sweden’s unilateral decision to cancel its large-scale defense agreement with Saudi Arabia has attracted considerable international attention. It canceled the agreement on moral grounds, refusing to continue military cooperation with one of the world’s most hardline dictatorships – a regime that violates human rights and sentences dissidents to public whippings. […]

Linas Linkevičius
Uncategorized

Lithuanian foreign minister: Ukraine truce is not working

The agreements on a truce in Ukraine are not working as separatists, supported by Russia, continue attacks in eastern Ukraine, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevičius said on Monday after discussing the existing situation with his Ukrainian counterpart. […]

Juozas Olekas
Defence

Lithuanian defence minister invites Canada to contribute to Polish-Lithuanian-Ukrainian brigade

On 20 January, Lithuanian Minister of National Defence Juozas Olekas met with Canadian Defence Minister Robert Nicholson at Canada‘s National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa. Both ministers addressed a number of common security and defence issues, including joint efforts to support Ukraine. […]

UN Security Council
Foreign affairs

Lithuania comes to the middle of its term at UN Security Council

Lithuania has reached the half-point in its two-year membership in the United Nations (UN) Security Council. Throughout 2014, the Lithuanian delegation mostly focused on the conflict in Ukraine, the rule of law, protection of civilians in armed conflicts, reinforcement of UN cooperation with the European Union (EU) and proper implementation of the Security Council’s decisions on sanctions, the Foreign Ministry has said. […]

Flag of Palestine
Foreign affairs

Lithuania abstains in Palestine’s statehood vote at UN Security Council

The United Nations Security Council, in a 8-2 vote with five abstentions, rejected a resolution on Palestinian statehood which sets a deadline for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Palestinian territories by 2017, CNN reports. […]