Baltic, British foreign ministers meet in Vilnius

  • 2022-03-03
  • LETA/BNS/TBT Staff

TALLINN - Estonian Foreign Minister Eva-Maria Liimets, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis and British Foreign Minister Elizabeth Truss met in Vilnius on Thursday to discuss Russia's war against Ukraine, sanctions on Russia and Belarus and comprehensive assistance to Ukraine.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a bilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Estonia and the United Kingdom also took place. At the meetings, the foreign ministers reaffirmed the close cooperation, unity and strong support of the European Union and NATO for Ukraine.

"By acting in a united and coordinated manner as allies, we will continue to provide comprehensive assistance to Ukraine and tighten sanctions on Russia and Belarus, as this way we stand for the security of the whole of Europe," Liimets said. "Ukraine is currently fighting for European values and security. We will help Ukraine to defend itself and support giving Ukraine a clear European Union accession perspective and candidate status," the minister added.

At the meeting with the British Foreign Minister Elizabeth Truss, Liimets highlighted the excellent cooperation between Estonia and the United Kingdom, the countries' unanimous support for Ukraine and thanked the United Kingdom for its contribution to security in Estonia and the Baltic region.

"The United Kingdom has been a framework country for the NATO battle group in Tapa, Estonia, since 2017 and has repeatedly participated in the Baltic air policing mission in Amari. This cooperation has been very important for both countries and Estonia is very grateful to the United Kingdom for its significant contribution," Liimets said.

The press conference given by the foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the United Kingdom in Vilnius can be viewed on the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry's Facebook page and Twitter.