Lithuanian president, Polish parlt speaker discuss defense, security issues

VILNIUS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda met with visiting Speaker of the Sejm of Poland Elzbieta Witek on Tuesday and discussed bilateral relations between Lithuania and Poland, defense related matters, and security situation in the region, the presidential press service said.

The president praised excellent relations between Lithuania and Poland and also underscored the need to enhance inter-parliamentary cooperation.

The meeting focused on regional security issues. Nauseda highlighted the fact that the geopolitical situation of Lithuania and Poland required maintaining the closest possible relations in the area of security and defense. According to Gitanas Nauseda, Lithuania appreciates Poland’s contribution to strengthening the transatlantic bond and the security of our region in the context of NATO.

Both countries welcome the outcome of the recent NATO summit: the decision to continue NATO open-door policy and support the Alliance’s partners, in particular Ukraine and Georgia, the established Alliance’s position on the situation in Belarus, as well as the decision to hold a NATO summit in Lithuania.

The Lithuanian president and the speaker of the Polish Sejm also talked about the situation in Belarus. Nauseda said there is a need to mobilize international support for Belarusian civil society and the victims of the regime’s repression. The president drew attention to the blackmail by the regime through illegal migration to Lithuania and stressed the need to carefully assess the security situation in the region and to enhance the protection of the EU’s external border.

The president welcomed the shared views of Lithuania and Poland on the threat posed by Russia and the principled agreement reached at the European Council not to hold a meeting between Russia and the 27 EU member states as long as Russia showed no signs of progress in terms of respect for human rights on the national scale and continued to escalate the situation in Ukraine.

According to Nauseda, the mobilization of the international community’s political support to Ukraine is crucial while Russia continues its aggressive policy there. Next week, in Vilnius, the Ukraine Reform Conference will provide this opportunity.