ELDR Prime Ministers Lunch

In advance of the European Summit, the Prime Ministers of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR) will meet during a lunch hosted by Karel De Gucht, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Belgium, at 12:00 on Thursday 19th March 2009 in Palais d’Egmont, Petit Sablon 8, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium.

The meeting will focus on the financial crisis and preparations for April’s G20 summit in London; the EU’s climate change strategy, in view of the Copenhagen summit in December, as well as energy security. As the last formal meeting before June’s elections, the occasion will also be used to discuss preparations for the European elections. Please see below the list of participants:

Hosts:
Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck MEP, President ELDR Party, Belgium
Karel de Gucht, Vice-Prime Minister, Belgium

Participants:
Andrus Ansip, Prime Minister, Estonia
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Prime Minister, Denmark
Siim Kallas, Vice-President, European Commission, and Commissioner for Administrative Affairs, Audit and Anti-Fraud, Estonia -
Cecilia Malmström, Minister for European Affairs, Sweden
Gergana Passy, Minister for European Affairs, Bulgaria
Matti Vanhanen, Prime Minister, Finland
Graham Watson MEP Leader ALDE Group, European Parliament, UK

Journalists will be able to make a tour de table at 12.

The Prime Ministers and Ministers will hold a press conference from
13 h 30 – 14 h 00 in the same building.

Interested journalists are invited to confirm their participation to Chiara Puletti, ELDR Press Officer, cpuletti@eldr.eu, +32 2 237 01 43 or + 32 488475966.