News

On 16 February in Washington, D.C., Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis met with the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. According to the Minister, the cooperation between the United States of America and Lithuania during Lithuania’s OSCE Chairmanship and Presidency of the Community of Democracies testifies to the maturity of partnership between Lithuania and the U.S. “I hope to see you in Vilnius in early December during the OSCE ministerial meeting and also in late June at the foreign ministers’ meeting of the Community of Democracies. We would like to conclude our Presidency of that forum by providing more possibilities to contribute with real work to the spread of democracy around the world,” the Minister said.

He noted that the meeting of the Community of Democracies in Vilnius would be held in the background of the historical events in the Mediterranean region, therefore, the community must reflect the new realities.

The 6th meeting of foreign ministers’ of the Community of Democracies in Vilnius will be held on 30 June - 1 July. This is the largest and the most important event of Lithuania’s Presidency of the Community of Democracies. On the eve, a high-level meeting of women world leaders will take place in Vilnius at the initiative of President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė and President of Finland Tarja Halonen. On the same day, parliamentary, business and youth forums of the Community of Democracies will be also held in Vilnius.

On 6-7 December this year in Vilnius, the OSCE Ministerial Council will be the largest event of Lithuania’s Chairmanship of this organization.

H.Clinton stressed that Minister A.Ažubalis was the only foreign minister from another country, invited to take part in this high-level event of the U.S. Department of State dedicated to the spread of democracy and that he was actively involved in initiating the dialogue of democratic countries and civil society.

According to the Lithuanian Foreign Minister, when aiming to have a successful democratization, it is necessary to talk not only with governments, but also with civil society. This is confirmed by the recent events in Tunisia, Egypt and Belarus.

The U.S. Secretary of State supported the efforts of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office A.Ažubalis to resume official negotiations in the 5+2 format on the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict.

Minister A.Ažubalis thanked H.Clinton for conveying congratulations on 15 February on behalf of the U.S. President Barack Obama and the people of the United States on the occasion of the Day of Re-establishment of the State of Lithuania.

“I am glad that this year I am able to celebrate the 16th of February in the capital city of the country, the President of which in 1918 declared the right of a people to self-determination and the people of which helped us to maintain hope for Lithuania’s freedom during all those long years of the occupation,” the Minister noted.

On 16 February, the Minister also met with the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg. Minister A.Ažubalis acquainted him with the results of his visits to Moscow, Kiev and Chisinau, Lithuania’s efforts to have the activities of the OSCE Office in Minsk continued that had not yet influenced the Belarusian Government to change it’s decision not to renew the mandate of the organization’s Office in Minsk, which had expired on 31 December last year.

During the conversation, the interlocutors agreed to strengthen the coordination of Lithuanian-U.S. actions in the settlement of protracted conflicts within the OSCE area.