Lithuanian Foreign Minister in Budapest

The success of the upcoming EU Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius and the resolving of the budget debate within the EU are in the interests of both the Lithuanian EU Presidency and Hungary, Foreign Ministers János Martonyi of Hungary and Linas Linkevicius of Lithuania agreed at their meeting in Budapest.

The two foreign ministers shared the view that Hungarian-Lithuanian relations are excellent and that they appreciate both bilateral consular cooperation and the recent growth in bilateral trade. Hungary provides consular services for Lithuanian citizens in 11 countries, while Lithuania does the same for Hungarian citizens in 8 countries.

János Martonyi and Linas Linkevicius – who came to Budapest for the foreign ministerial meeting of the Visegrád Group and that of the Central European Initiative – have decided to initiate a cooperation program within the areas of cultural and social relations, which will include bolstering higher education cooperation, launching a youth exchange program and continuing the Hungarian-Lithuanian academic forum.

The Hungarian Foreign Minister congratulated his colleague on effectively implementing the objectives of the Lithuanian EU Presidency. He also stated that the Eastern Partnership Summit in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius in November will represent a significant moment of EU neighborhood policy. Both sides anticipate that conditions will allow for concluding the Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine in Vilnius.