On 15–17 February 2018, an Inter-Parliamentary Conference for the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Common Security and Defence Policy was held in Sofia, the capital city of the Republic of Bulgaria. Thanks to the delegation of the Lithuanian parliamentary delegation consisting of Dr Mindaugas Puidokas (Head of the Delegation), Deputy Chair of the Committee on European Affairs, and Dr Laurynas Kasčiūnas, Member of the Committee on National Security and Defence, provisions relevant to Lithuania’s foreign policy were included in the Statement of the Heads of Delegations. It was noted that the EU must continue to maintain the unity on all the matters pertaining to the relations with Russia – both on the sanctions against it and on freezing the relations with it – until Russia fully implements the Minsk agreements and stops its aggression against Ukraine.
In the light of the proposals of the Lithuanian delegation, the Statement stressed the need to strengthen EU-NATO cooperation, with a view to ensuring Europe’s security and defence. It was emphasised that while strengthening the European security and defence, EU-NATO overlapping structures and efforts should be avoided.
The document also focused on the follow-up of the implementation of the Eastern Partnership policy. Owing to the efforts of the Lithuanian delegation, it was noted that the EU must continue to support the political and economic reforms in the partner countries on the basis of the agreed 20 Deliverables for 2020.
The Sofia Conference coincided with the commemoration of the Centenary of the Restoration of the State of Lithuania. Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy; David McAllister, Chairman of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, and other participants of the event congratulated the Lithuanian delegation on this anniversary.