Energy, EU – Baltic States, Investments, Lithuania

Grand Duke Henri and Dalia Grybauskaitė.

President Dalia Grybauskaitė underlined in the meeting that Lithuania and Luxembourg had become good friends and reliable partners over the past two decades.

"Our cooperation within the European Union demonstrates that we share many interests which we can achieve working together. It will ensure not only mutual benefits, but it will also make the bonds of friendship between our countries and people stronger. I had the privilege and the opportunity to get to know from the inside how the European Union operates. I have always admired the spirit of European unity and solidarity which Luxembourg – a founding country of the European Union – has defended and continues to defend consistently. These values are also very dear to my country. Our membership in NATO is no less valuable on the path towards international stability and European security," the President said.

The Grand Duke Henri said that the President's European experience and her good understanding of things while she was holding office as a European Commissioner had always been admired by Luxembourg's leaders, and expressed confidence that this experience of the Lithuanian leader would surely benefit Lithuania and help to strengthen unity in Europe.

The President also had a meeting with Luxembourg's Prime Minister Jean Claude Juncker. The President and the Prime Minister agreed to launch close consultations concerning investment by Luxembourg in Lithuania's sector of renewable energy sources.

"The European Union's commitment to develop renewable energy sources in every country opens up good opportunities for investment in Lithuania. Luxembourg's Prime Minister expressed deep interest in this opportunity offered to his country. I have invited Mr. Jean Claude Juncker to come to Lithuania with a group of interested businessmen and experts to start concrete negotiations, and the Prime Minister accepted this proposal," President Dalia Grybauskaitė said after the meeting.

Lithuania's President and Luxembourg's Prime Minister agreed to draft and, in the near future, sign an agreement on cultural cooperation which is expected to provide a new impetus for the development of tourism and for closer contacts between art and culture communities.

Another topic covered in the meeting concerned issues on the agenda of the European Summit to be held in Brussels tomorrow, such as economic coordination and financial control measures as well as international policy concerning the EU Strategy 2020.

The President of Lithuania also met with Chamber President Laurent Mosar and Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean Asselborn.