Security of Baltic states inseparable from that of Finland - Budrys

VILNIUS - The security of the Baltic states is inseparable from that of Finland, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said after his meeting with his Finnish counterpart Elina Valtonen on Friday.

"The security of the Baltic states is inseparable from the security of Finland and the entire Nordic region, so a strong partnership between the Baltic and Nordic countries is the foundation of regional security," he said, adding that Lithuania and Finland are like-minded countries that cooperate closely as close EU partners and NATO allies.

According to Budrys, both countries share a strong common approach to regional security and defense strengthening.

"Our joint actions to strengthen the European Union and NATO's eastern flank are very important. We must work together to ensure that NATO's defense capabilities are consistently increased and that allies invest more in defense. We must also provide strong and reliable support to Ukraine as this is our immediate priority," the minister was quoted as saying in the statement released by the Foreign Ministry.

Lithuania's top diplomat also highlighted the effective cooperation between countries in the Nordic-Baltic format, emphasizing that this model provides added value to the entire region as it increases resilience, strengthens coordination, and allows for a faster response to security challenges.

The minister also highlighted the successful development of Lithuanian-Finnish cooperation in the defense industry as Lithuania is the fifth largest importer of Finnish defense industry products, with imports amounting to 16.2 million euros in 2024.

Valtonen is attending the annual Snow Meeting in Vilnius.

Organized annually by Lithuania's Foreign Ministry since 2008 and traditionally in January, the Snow Meeting is a premier security policy event in Lithuania with a long tradition. The main topics of this year's discussions will include strengthening support for Ukraine, NATO's deterrence and defense policy, preparations for the NATO Summit in Ankara, as well as security challenges facing the Nordic-Baltic region and the need for even deeper cooperation.

This year's event is attended by the foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia, Romania, Finland, and Turkey, the NATO deputy secretary general, officials from Sweden and Germany, as well as Lithuanian politicians, representatives of institutions and academia, security policy experts from the United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Spain, and other countries.