Lithuania receives high-profile US senators

  • 2011-02-07
  • Oskars Magone

The Lithuanian president met with top US lawmakers John McCain and Joe Lieberman. (photo: president.lt)

VILNIUS - Lithuanian president Dalia Grybauskaite has received the largest ever delegation of US congressmen and senators, led by prominent US lawmakers John McCain and Joe Lieberman.

"The United States is Lithuania's key ally and strategic partner within NATO. The U.S. support has been a crucial factor in laying down collective defense principles in NATO's Strategic Concept. Partnership in the area of security, close dialogue on foreign policy issues and stronger bilateral economic relations - these are an important direction of our foreign policy in pursuing Euroatlantic cooperation," the president was quoted as saying in a press release.

The main topics of discussion at the meeting were Lithuania's chairmanship of the OSCE and the country's policy toward Belarus.

According the the press release, the president said Lithuania was in favor of the EU sanctions to restrict entry to the European Union for a targeted group of Belarusian government officials and the decision not to impose economic sanctions.

Foreign Minister Audronius Azubalis, meanwhile, said Lithuania would continue to support Belarussian civil society.

“Vilnius is the closest capital to Minsk, and this circumstance creates great opportunities for Belarusian non-governmental organizations and civil society activists to set up and work from a distance, implementing various initiatives. Lithuania has consistently supported the Belarusian civil society and will certainly continue to do so in the future,” he said.