WIREDGOV

Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevičius, opening the annual conference State of Europe on 2 October in Brussels, stressed that in order to stay relevant in the global scene, the European Union had to remain reliable, responsible, and open.

“In order for the EU to be able to respond to today's challenges, we have to follow the formula 'more Europe'. But we need not more European institutions, but more joint European decisions, otherwise, the citizens won’t believe in the EU’s meaning and usefulness. But we won’t have more Europe with less capacities, thus, we shouldn’t decrease the expenditure on the key European programmes,” he said.

The Minister claimed that the EU’s role in the world depended not only on the consistent search for joint European decisions but also on the responsibility of politicians to tackle internal economic problems without blaming Europe.
He said that the creation of a uniform, free, and peaceful Europe hadn't been finished, therefore, in order to secure the world’s trust, the EU had to remain open to partners.

“The main challenge is the progress of the relations with the Eastern partners and the coming Summit in Vilnius. The EU has to offer a clear vision to the Eastern partners: those that have chosen the European way and seek stronger integration with the EU have to be given more opportunities,” Linkevičius stated.

The 10th conference State of Europe, organized by the Friends of Europe research centre, is one of the main events dedicated to Europe's future in Brussels. This year’s conference Tough Choices for a Troubled Europe is taking place with Lithuania, which is presiding over the EU Council, and is dedicated to the role of the EU in the world.

Among the other participants of the discussion were Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, Christopher Pissarides, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, members of the European Commission, European Parliament, and national parliaments, ministers, vice-ministers, other important politicians, businesspeople, and public figures.