Analytics, Direct Speech, EU – Baltic States, Financial Services, Legislation, Lithuania

"First of all, we have to resolve our own problems. Among them the issue of unemployment, especially among the young people. In order to curb the youth unemployment we have to focus on the economic growth. We have agreed on various measures to increase employment and now it is the time to implement them fully, "said Grybauskaite in an interview to Aachen newspaper Aachener Nachrichten, on Tuesday.

The president says that the key to the economic growth and competitiveness lies in the internal EU market and free trade with partners. The internal market is unique and has great potential, whereas greater competitiveness within the EU would create higher competitiveness of the EU in the world and free trade would serve the both sides.

Grybauskaite says that the euro is a good tool to prevent fiscal populism, therefore it requires a responsible policy.

"The euro means that strict rules apply preventing politicians from doing what just pops up into their heads. It is a key advantage of the euro and I hope that in early 2015 we will be able to adopt it," Grybauskaite said in an interview to German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

To the question how Lithuanians survived the financial crisis surprisingly quietly, Grybauskaite said that once political will, objective of the solution acceptable to everyone and personal example are united, one can achieve a lot.

In an interview with German media Grybauskaite did not reveal whether she will seek to run for the post of the European Union (EU) Council President.

"Dalia Grybauskaite does not answer the question whether the Charlemagne Prize will pave the way to higher positions in the EU, for example, the successor of the current European Council President Herman van Rompuy. At first she has to decide whether to run for the post of the president of the Republic of Lithuania," says German daily Suddeutsche Zeitung.

Chairman of European Economic and Social Committee Henri Malosse who had recently visited Lithuania hinted that in the backstage of the European Union, Grybauskaite was already called "the future EU president".