Lithuania's new foreign policy agenda

ENLithuania's accession to NATO and the EU opens up new possibilities for Lithuania together with other democratic nations to cope with challenges of globalisation and reinforce its security in the face of new risks and threats. Membership of the EU and NATO has transformed Lithuania's engagement in regional and international affairs. Lithuania has joined these two organisations with a vision to become an active member capable of producing political ideas and practical solutions to regional co-operation, promoting universal principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Our aim is to expand the Baltic region's engagement with the neighbours in the North, the South and the East and to contribute actively to the development of new formats of regional co-operation. In this context, Lithuania's favourable geographical location and its experience of co-operation with neighbours is a great asset. In his opening speech delivered at the summit of the Baltic Development Forum in Stockholm, President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso stated that the Baltic Sea region could be called 'a beacon of Europe'. Indeed, the Baltic Sea region is one of the fastest growing regions in the EU and has great possibilities to become a world leader in terms of economic growth, competitiveness, and innovation, as well as social welfare of its population. Seeking to maintain regional dynamism, Lithuania is developing co-operation with Poland, trilateral co-operation with the Baltic States, consulting among the Nordic and Baltic EU members, taking part in the broader cooperation of the Nordic and Baltic States. Still, the possibilities of the region are underused. Enlargement has drawn a new border on Lithuania's eastern frontiers. Our task is to make this border not only secure, but also less visible, more transparent, and by no means preventing political, economic and people-to-people contacts.Eastern Europeans have every right to belong to the European family, once they adhere to common values and make practical steps to integrate with Europe. We must also deliberate on the role of our "new neighbours" in reasserting Europe's global leadership, including such areas as foreign policy and energy safety. The Iranian nuclear case shows how important countries like Russia are in solving modern security problems. Thus, promoting democracy to the East is a strategic priority. The success of integrating Russia, Ukraine, and the other emerging Eastern European democracies with a broader transatlantic community will secure energy supplies against political manipulations. It would also ensure broader support for European and transatlantic initiatives based on common values. From a shorter perspective, there is an immediate interest to reinvigorate our indolent policies vis-à-vis the democratic situation in Belarus, as unpredictable policies of the current Belarusian leadership may have abrupt strategic implications to European stability and cooperation. In this context, transatlantic co-operation is crucial. Strong transatlantic partnership will also help to advance democratic values further to the Greater Middle East to address such security problems as nuclear safety, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism [p. 6-7].