The issue and other items on the bilateral and EU agenda were in focus at Tuesday's meeting with British Ambassador to Lithuania David Hunt, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said.
During the conversation, Linkevičius and Hunt stated closeness of positions and mutual support in the EU, NATO and other international organizations. The two diplomats noted the strengthening business and cultural ties between the two countries, highlighted the contribution of a large and dynamic Lithuanian community in the UK to the development of the relations.
The minister briefed the British diplomat on the priorities of Lithuania's upcoming presidency over the EU Council, noting that Lithuania would focus on financial stability, wise development and creation of jobs, as well as an open and safe Europe and neighborhood in the second half of 2013.
The ambassador, in his turn, expressed his country's support to the priorities and stressed the need to pay more attention to the promotion of EU economic development.
In their discussion of EU's Eastern Neighborhood, Linkevičius and Hunt have expressed hope that Ukraine manages to live up to the conditions, which would pave way to signing the EU-Ukrainian Association Treaty in Vilnius.
According to data provided by the Lithuanian Statistics Department, Lithuanian-UK trade turnover swelled by 70 percent in 2012 to 6.9 billion litas (EUR 2b). Lithuania's trade balance with the United Kingdom was positive at over 3 billion litas – Lithuania's exports to the UK stood at 5 billion litas and imports totalled 1.9 billion litas.
