Finland Times

 

File photo of Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite. Photo AFP-Lehtikuva

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite expressed her support on Saturday for an EU-U.S. free trade agreement which would boost bilateral trade and will further strengthen transatlantic relations, according to BNS news agency.

     

"Lithuania supports U.S. and EU efforts to reach a deal as soon as possible, because this agreement will bring benefits to both economic partners -- the entire European Union, including Lithuania, and the United States," she told reporters after meeting with John Boehner, visiting Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

     

According to the head of state, it is also very important to Lithuania that the United States facilitates the exports of energy resources to Europe as soon as possible.

     

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said in early March that Lithuania might become the first country to receive liquefied gas from the United States, adding that given the agreements being signed, this could happen in early 2016, BNS reported.

     

Lithuania's and regional security issues, situation in Ukraine and Lithuania's bilateral military, economy and energy related cooperation with the United States was discussed during the meeting of Grybauskaite and Boehner, the Presidency announced.

     

Boehner plans to meet the U.S. military staff in Lithuania during his three days stay in Lithuania and visit Lithuania's liquefied natural gas terminal in the port city Klaipeda.

     

Lithuanian and U.S. military forces enhanced joint exercises in recent years. The United States plans to deploy heavy weapons in Lithuania as well as other eastern European countries, first time of such behavior after the Cold War.