Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that he intended to balance the European Unions "unfriendly approach to Israel" and the conflict in the Middle East through direct contact with European leaders. “I want to achieve a balance in the European Union’s not always friendly relations with Israel in order to maintain fairer relations,” Netanyahu said before leaving Tel Aviv to begin a three-day trip to Lithuania. "I have been invited to the Baltic countries summit," Netanyahu said. "This is the first time that an Israeli prime minister will be visiting Lithuania, invited for this summit. This reflects Israels increasing standing in the world.” “I am doing this through contacts with blocs of countries within the European Union, Eastern European countries, [and] now with the Baltic countries, as well, of course with other countries,” Netanyahu added. Political sources said that Netanyahu had developed a plan to consolidate the unity of the European position from within. He began this task last year, when he met with the Central European bloc and tried to persuade them to follow the approach of US President Donald Trump and transfer their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. However, he decided to intensify these efforts by responding to EU Ambassador to Israel Emmanuel Geoffrey’s call to a number of Knesset members from the ruling coalition parties to refrain from endorsing the racist "Nation-State Law” and warned of the consequences of passing it. At the time, Netanyahu was furious with this act, considered it a gross interference in Israeli internal political affairs and instructed the Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to summon Ambassador Geoffrey to reprimand him. But Netanyahu will also seek to persuade his hosts to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. He will address the position from Iran and "help his friend, Trump, to put pressure on Tehran to cancel its nuclear program and finance terrorism." Netanyahu left the country for Vilnius, where the annual summit of Baltic heads of state will be held. The summit will be attended by Prime Minister of Lithuania Saulius Skvernelis, Latvian Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis and Estonian Prime Minister Yuri Ratas. He will discuss with them, according to a statement from his office, deepening cooperation among their countries. Netanyahu will also meet with Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite at the presidential palace.