Written question asked by Paul Keetch (Liberal Democrat) on Thursday, 16 June 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 20 June 2005. It was answered by Douglas Alexander (Labour) on Tuesday, 5 July 2005 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Lithuania

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what ministerial visits to Lithuania (a) have taken place in the past 12 months and (b) are planned for the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: There have been five ministerial visits to Lithuania over the last year. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, (Mr. Sutcliffe) lobbied on the Working Time Directive in June 2004, the former hon. Member for Hove (Ivor Caplin), the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at Ministry of Defence visited in January, my right hon. and noble Friend the former Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean) attended a NATO ministerial meeting in April (there was no bilateral programme) and my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (Mr. Bradshaw) was in Lithuania recently (13–14 June) as part of a pre-Presidency tour. I visited Lithuania on 27 June, and held talks with the President, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister.My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary had planned to visit all the Baltic States in 2004, but parliamentary business intervened and the visit was postponed. It is not our practice to announce visits until they are firm. Because of the unpredictable nature of world events, final decisions on overseas visits are often not possible until very shortly before the day of travel.The Foreign Secretary and most UK Ministers meet with their Lithuanian and other EU colleagues in the course of regular EU business.

Secondary information