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As EU foreign ministers agreed to list the military wing of Lebanese Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation on 22 July in Brussels, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius stressed that regional stability was still important for the EU; therefore, the EU should continue dialogue with all political parties in Lebanon, as well as to continue the EU aid to this country.

“We should really name names, because time comes to tell the truth. And what was done by the Hezbollah military wing in the region and elsewhere, there should really be some reaction. And I believe that it will not harm the overall process. We should just make some rules. Rules should be followed. And we should also set some rules in the dialogue,” Linkevičius said.

Along with the decision to blacklist Hezbollah’s armed wing, the Foreign Affairs Council issued the statement that the EU should continue dialogue with all political parties in Lebanon and continue EU aid to this country. The sanctions bill will be drafted by the RELEX Working Group on EU External Relations, which is chaired by Lithuania this semester.

The EU foreign ministers also discussed the situation in Egypt. The Lithuanian Foreign Minister stressed that it was important for civil society of Egypt and for the entire region to get back to the democratic process as soon as possible.

“Elected governments should not be removed by military force. This is not acceptable, not legitimate. And now they should get back as soon as it is possible to the democratic process, to the elected leadership,” Linkevičius said.

The Foreign Affairs Council discussed the Middle East peace process. The Lithuanian Foreign Minister welcomed the U.S. efforts to renew peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, and stressed that the EU should make its full contribution to the process.

The EU foreign ministers also discussed preparations for the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius in November. Linkevičius stressed that the EU had to actively support reforms in the neighbouring region; therefore, the EU must make every effort to ensure that the countries signing the association and free trade agreements could apply most of the provisions even before ratification.