Brussels, 07/11/2006 (Agence Europe) - During a meeting in Vilnius on 6 November, the presidents of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Varia Vike-Freiberga and Valdas Adamkus respectively, together with Polish President Lech Kaczynski, stressed the need to strengthen and deepen trilateral Baltic cooperation and cooperation with Poland in the EU, as well as the advantage of having closer cooperation between the three Baltic States and the Visegrad Four (Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia), a press release states.
In their joint press release, the four presidents mainly speak of EU Neighbourhood Policy, stressing the need to renew and strengthen the “eastern dimension” of this policy. The presidents welcome in this context the EU's commitment in favour of alleviating tension between Georgia and Russia and call on Moscow to lift all economic sanctions imposed on Georgia and to put an end to the measures aimed at Georgians living in Russia. Also, they would welcome deeper EU engagement in the settlement process of “frozen conflicts” and call on Belarus to respond to the possibilities offered by the EU Neighbourhood Policy.
The press release also stresses the support of the four countries to NATO's open door policy that should, they say, result in “inviting aspirant countries, ready to fulfil the obligations and commitments, to become members of the Alliance”.
The presidents “attach great importance to the speedy enlargement of the Schengen Area” as the freedom of movement of persons is one of the most important rights enjoyed by EU citizens. They also evoke “strengthening infrastructural ties of the Baltic Region and Poland, and their interconnectivity with the rest of the EU”. They thus note the importance of: - the Rail Baltica project, and invited the respective governments to “proceed to an overall analysis of the feasibility survey” agreeing on coordinated activity for implementation of the project; - implementation of common energy projects in order to achieve integration of the Baltic regional energy market into the EU common market; - close cooperation between Baltic States on the subject to the new nuclear plant project in Lithuania, given its importance for the region (the presidents also note the interest shown by Poland and other EU projects for taking part in the project); - the development of a joint EU external policy for energy, and the completion of a common energy market; - and the need to have Russia sign the Energy Charter “as quickly as possible”. (mg)