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Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė on Wednesday congratulated Angela Merkel on becoming Germany's chancellor for the fourth time.

Lithuania and seven more countries in northern Europe on Tuesday warned against rushing with the ambitious integration of the euro zone in fields that are still lacking a unified position of European Union (EU) member-states.

Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis says that a Lithuania-Russia intergovernmental commission that held its last meeting more than six years ago could resume its activities, but Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius is cautious about the idea, at least for now.

Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis says that Lithuania needs to resume political contacts with Moscow because "straightforward and principled communication is better than no communication at all".

Lithuania's Parliamentary Speaker Viktoras Pranckietis says he sees no potential for major changes in the relations with Russia until Moscow revises its position.

Lithuania should this year make contacts with representatives of the Russian administration, says the country's Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis, dismissing the current isolation policies as detrimental and unique in the European Union (EU).

Here are some of the major events to watch for in Lithuania's politics, culture and society in 2018:

Lithuania's President Dalia Grybauskaitė ranks 68th among the world's 100 most powerful females published by the US magazine Forbes.

After German parliamentary elections secured Chancellor Angela Merkel with yet another term in office, Berlin will remain Lithuania's most important partner in Europe, says President Dalia Grybauskaitė.