On 18 February, in Brussels, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Petras Vaitiek?nas participated in the meeting of the European Union General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC), where the main attention was focused on the issue of Kosovo‘s independence that was declared on 17 February.
During the meeting, Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the EU Member States adopted conclusions which stated that the EU countries would decide, in accordance with national practice and international law, on their relations with Kosovo as an independent state.
The head of Lithuania’s diplomacy stated that in the current situation Kosovo’s independence is the only sustainable solution to ensure the perspective of security and stability in the region. In response to the proposal by the President of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus to start the procedures of acknowledgement of Kosovo in Lithuania, minister P.Vaitiek?nas made a statement that he would address the Seimas asking them to initiate the procedures needed to acknowledge the independence of Kosovo.
Like majority of the EU states, Lithuania consistently continues to be of the opinion that the case of Kosovo is unique and cannot be used as a precedent in solving other frozen conflicts.
