Vice-Minister Mitkus: We aim for greater attention to EU border states in the next EU multiannual budgetEuropean UnionMultilateral RelationsNews of the Ministry

On 12 November, the European Parliament (EP) hosted a conference, co-organised by Lithuania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, titled 'Investing in the Growth and Resilience of EU Regions Bordering Aggressor States - Building a Stronger Europe'. The event focused on challenges facing the EU's eastern regions and their reflection in the upcoming 2028-2034 EU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).

The Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Sigitas Mitkus, who represented Lithuania at the event, stressed that living near aggressive neighbours - Russia and Belarus - negatively impacts Lithuania's economy, security, social development, and people's psychological well-being.

"Due to the geopolitical situation, the countries of our region face greater security and competitiveness challenges than other EU countries. It is therefore necessary to ensure that this is properly reflected in the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework," said Mitkus.

Mitkus also stressed that the competitiveness of the eastern regions of the EU is inseparable from security and stability.

"It is difficult to speak about investment or business development where people feel unsafe. In this context, all areas of the EU budget, including Cohesion, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the European Social Fund, and other major spending categories, need to focus more on EU border countries", stressed Mitkus.

The event featured a keynote speech by Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis, a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) elected in Lithuania. The discussion featured MEPs Pierre-Yves Germain and Siegfried Mureşan, Jürgen Ligi, Minister of Finance of Estonia, and Hugo Sobral, Deputy Director-General for Regional and Urban Policy of the European Commission.