Lithuania defends Georgia

LUXEMBOURG -- During the General Affairs and ExternalRelations Council (GAERC) meeting of the European Union on 16 June inLuxembourg, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Petras Vaitiekūnascalled on the European Union has to send a clear message to Georgiathat it will talk to Russia on the issue of withdrawing of itsmilitary forces from Abkhazia.

"Our obligation is to convince Russiaduring the upcoming EU-Russia Summit to withdraw its military forcesfrom Abkhazia. And if additional peacekeeping forces are indeednecessary in Abkhazia, then they have to be international," saidVaitiekūnas.

Discussing preparations for theupcoming European Council meeting on 19-20 June, Lithuanian Ministerof Foreign Affairs positively assessed the fact that draftconclusions of the European Council include hearings on the crimes oftotalitarian regimes.

He also thanked his counterparts fortheir efforts in developing the Eastern direction of the EuropeanNeighbourhood policy partnership.

"We are making an important step increating a format of multilateral regional cooperation with the EUneighbours in the East," he said.