Lithuania to share EU's burden of immigration: PM

Lithuania must be ready to share the burden of immigration together with other European Union member states, Algirdas Butkevicius, Lithuania's prime minister, said on Thursday.

"I think there must be decisions taken on the level of the European Council which would let the problem be solved not by some individual country but by sharing the burden among all the EU member states," Butkevicius said in an interview with local radio broadcaster Ziniu Radijas.

Based on the latest European Commission's EU-wide migrants' resettlement scheme, 207 displaced people in clear need of international protection should be settled in Lithuania.

Butkevicius did not elaborate on the Lithuanian stance on the proposed quotas while emphasizing that the final decision must be taken at the EU leaders meeting in June.

"I believe it must be common European policy, concerning migration problems in the EU," the head of government added. "Lithuania cannot be indifferent and must contribute to the settlement of the issue."

Lithuania's Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius earlier expressed his support and solidarity with the EU's southern countries having the highest burden of illegal migration.

"Lithuania will not remain on the sidelines, but rather will look for a way to contribute to the international efforts to address the challenges and the consequence of migration," the minister said last month. Endit