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UK reliable partner of Lithuania: president

Xinhua, January 9, 2015 Adjust font size:

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite said on Thursday Britain is Lithuania's reliable partner within NATO's framework, contributing to the security of the Baltic region and Europe as a whole, during her meeting with visiting UK foreign secretary.

During the meeting with Philip Hammond, British foreign secretary, Grybauskaite praised UK's efforts in ensuring the safety in the airspace over the three Baltic countries and congratulated the country on joining NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence operating in Vilnius.

In late April 2014, Britain deployed four Typhoon multi-role fighter aircraft in Lithuanian Air Force base in Siauliai, providing reassurance to NATO allies in Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia.

"Close cooperation with the United Kingdom is also important in seeking consistent position of the EU on the relationship with Russia and enhancing the EU's role in the sphere of information security," said the Office of the President in a statement after the meeting.

Grybauskaite also discussed with Hammond about terrorism threats and condemned the shooting in France, underlining that global efforts were needed to defeat international terrorism.

The president emphasized the necessity to complete the creation of internal energy market, seek single digital market of the EU and signing free trade agreements with the United States.

According to the statement, Grybauskaite noted that the principle of free movement of persons in the EU must be preserved while seeking prosperity and economic welfare of Europe.

Hammond said Britain aims to curb, according to him, destabilizing migration within the EU and does not rule out it may demand amendments to the EU treaty.

"We respect the principle of free movement within the European Union but we also have to deal with some of the destabilizing very rapid short-term movements that we have seen in the UK," Hammond was quoted as saying by BNS news agency.

According to BNS, nearly half of 38,800 Lithuanian residents who left the country last year immigrated to Britain. Endit