"EU's internal market and free trade with partners is key to economic development and competition," the president said in an interview to Aachen's daily Aachener Nachrichten. Translation of the article into Lithuanian was published on the president's website on Wednesday.
"The internal market is unique and has great potential. Nevertheless, obstacles occur in the services sector, digital and energy markets. A higher degree of competition inside the EU would lead to more global competition of the EU. Free trade would benefit both sides," the president said.
In Grybauskaitė's words, EU's social agenda should focus on reducing youth unemployment, and Lithuania will keep it in focus during its EU Council presidency. At the same time, the Lithuanian president emphasized that confidence in EU's economic power can be recovered "through financial stability only."
During Lithuania's EU presidency in July-December of this year, the EU and the US may open talks on the world's largest free trade agreement.
On Thursday, Grybauskaitė will receive the honorable international Charlemagne Prize in Aachen, Germany.
