GYMNICH: LITHUANIA FAVORS ESDP MISSION FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L VILNIUS 000724 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/04/2018 TAGS: PREL PHUM EUN RU GG LH SUBJECT: GYMNICH: LITHUANIA FAVORS ESDP MISSION FOR GEORGIA; REVIEW OF TRANSATLANTIC THREATS REF: A. STATE 93272 ¶B. STATE 93264 Classified By: Ambassador John A. Cloud for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) MFA Common Foreign and Security Policy Head Egidijus Navikas told Post September 4 that GOL Foreign Minister Petras Vaitiekunas will speak at the September 5 Gymnich (refs a and b) in favor of sending an ESDP Mission to Georgia (and contributing Lithuanian personnel),making a political decision on when to begin visa facilitation dialogues with Georgia and Ukraine, and calling for collaboration with the U.S. on both an updated EU Security Strategy and a reassessment of current transatlantic threats, specifically from Russia. ¶2. (C) Navikas said Vaitiekunas was pleased with the September 1 EU Summit conclusions. He is now intent on lobbying his fellow foreign ministers to transform these conclusions into concrete action plans at the Gymnich so that they can then become consensus decisions at the September 15 GAERC. ¶3. (C) On other Gymnich issues, Lithuania agrees with the USG position on both the "unhelpfulness" of Serbia requesting an ICJ referral on Kosovo independence from the UNGA and the importance of the EULEX mission in the Balkans. Lithuania also supports increased EU engagement in the Middle East and the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan. CLOUD