Lithuania takes EU helm

LITHUANIA is assuming its six-month presidency of the EU as a country with firsthand experience of the economic crisis. Lithuanian Chargé d'Affaires to Slovakia Edvilas Raudonikis said this in Bratislava on July 4, as cited by the TASR newswire. Lithuania took over the presidency as of July 1.

“We’re taking over the presidency with experience of a deep economic crisis and a good feeling that our homework has been done properly, as we’ve been almost the best [performing] economy in the EU since 2012,” said Raudonikis as cited by TASR.

Raudonikis added that the outlook is even better.

“We’re one of the countries that can take in the most foreign direct investment,” said Raudonikis. “We’re a country that can boast almost the fastest internet worldwide. With this experience we feel prepared. We’ll carry out our task with the help of our colleagues.”

The Lithuanian Presidency’s slogan is ‘a Credible, Growing and Open European Union’.

Dušan Chrenek, the head of the EU Commission Representation in Slovakia, said that the Lithuanian presidency will be a “real acid test”, but he believes that the country will do well at the helm of the EU. The EU has already warded off the threat of eurozone disintegration and many positive economic measures have been adopted, but the reforms must continue.

“This is a task for the Lithuanian presidency,” said Chrenek. “Lithuania is a good example that tough reforms are worth it.”