EU Presidency seeks to boost energy cooperation with GCC

Lithuanian Minister for Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevicius, whose country holds the current EU Presidency, Wednesday said both the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are serious in strengthening cooperation in the energy sector. Presenting the priorities of Lithuanias six month EU Presidency at a press conference in Brussels today, Linkevicius noted that he attended the EU-GCC ministerial meeting in Bahrain held on 30 June. "It was a very important and useful meeting. One of the potential areas for cooperation is the energy sector. The attitude from both sides is very serious. In due course we will be able to say a bit more," he said. "One of the priority items to be put on the common agenda of our meeting is the energy sector," he stressed. "Energy is not only an economic issue. It is also a political leverage. It is very important for the EU to speak with one voice on energy issues," he said. Replying to a question on events in Egypt, the Lithuanian Foreign Minister said "we assess the situation very carefully. We see that the society is deeply divided. We deplore the acts of violence". "It is not the way to change governments by military force. Military force used is also unacceptable," he said. "We cannot set as precedent removal of democratic governments by the use of force. This is a bad precedent. It should not be used. Since it has now happened we must make all necessary efforts to get back to the democratisation process as soon as possible," added Linkevicius. He underlined that jobs and rising youth unemployment in Europe will be part of the priorities of the Lithuanian Presidency.