On 3 December, the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a meeting of the Enhanced Partnership in Northern Europe (e-PINE), dedicated to human rights, democracy and good neighbourhood. This year Lithuania coordinates the e-PINE activities.
On 3 December, the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a meeting of the Enhanced Partnership in Northern Europe (e-PINE), dedicated to human rights, democracy and good neighbourhood. This year Lithuania coordinates the e-PINE activities.
Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Evaldas Ignatavičius opened the event. He drew attention to the fact that Lithuania’s efforts to focus the e-PINE agenda on the issues of human rights and democratic society were organically related to the European Union’s aim of including human rights issues among the key directions of external policy. According to the Vice-Minister, this opens up additional opportunities for a discussion on ways to promote democracy and encourage respect for fundamental human rights in the nearest neighbourhood.
The event discussed the right to freedom of association and assembly, the right to information, the safety of journalists and the rights of human rights defenders. The participants of the meeting also exchanged their opinions on the consideration at the level of international organisations of crimes committed by totalitarian regimes and visited the Museum of Genocide Victims.
The e-PINE is a cooperation initiative of the U.S. and the Nordic and Baltic nations (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden). Officially launched in Washington, D.C., in 2003, the framework has the following main goals: increasing security and stability in the region; contributing to the creation of a free and peaceful Europe; applying the experience of the Nordic and Baltic countries to positively influence growth in neighbouring regions.
This meeting concludes Lithuania’s coordination of the e-PINE activities. In 2013, Sweden will be at the helm.
URM.lt
