Energy, EU – Baltic States, Forum, Lithuania, Security

ASEM Meeting in Hungary, 7.06.2011. Photo: urm.lt

The Asia-Europe meeting focused on not traditional challenges in the Eurasian region: energy security and nuclear safety, climate change, environment protection, terrorism and extremism, the problems of piracy. Deputy Minister Skaisgiryte Liauskiene spoke about energy security challenges, presented the attitude of the Government of Lithuania towards nuclear safety, also drew attention to the planned construction projects of two new nuclear power plants at the Lithuanian state border that were not transparent and did not comply with international safety standards.

The Deputy Minister invited other participants of the meeting to take an active part in the dialogue of ASEM transport ministers, which was initiated by Lithuania in 2009 in Vilnius and now the second meeting will be held in China this October.

Skaisgiryte Liauskiene acquainted the ASEM Foreign Ministers with important issues of Lithuania's Chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and noted that Lithuania was willing to strengthen the OSCE cooperation with Asian and Mediterranean partners.

"The OSCE can be useful for countries in transition, such as Tunisia, which has already requested for OSCE assistance when organizing elections," the Deputy Minister said.

Foreign Ministers were also acquainted with efforts of Lithuania's Presidency of the Community of Democracies to strengthen civil society and democratic culture around the world, intentions to adopt the reform of the Community of Democracies at the organization's meeting of foreign ministers in Vilnius on 1 July. The majority of ASEM Foreign Ministers have been invited to attend this event.

In support of Lithuania's idea that countries in transition needed greater assistance, Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya proposed that ASEM should pay greater attention to these Asian countries.

ASEM is the process of dialogue, bringing together all EU states and 20 countries in Asia and Oceania. At the initiative of participating countries specific projects of cooperation between Europe and Asia are implemented in political, economic and socio-cultural fields. Lithuania has been a member of ASEM since 2004.