Spain's foreign minister in Vilnius to discuss bolstering NATO's eastern flank

VILNIUS – Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, the European Union and Cooperation Jose Manuel Albares Bueno is coming to Lithuania to discuss the bolstering of NATO's eastern flank and support for Ukraine.

On Thursday, he is scheduled to meet with President Gitanas Nauseda, Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, the speaker of the parliament, and Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis.

"The foreign ministers will discuss the upcoming NATO Summit in Madrid, the need to further strengthen defense capabilities on NATO's eastern flank, military, humanitarian and political support to Ukraine, and bilateral relations between Spain and Lithuania," the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry has said in a press release.

"The meeting will also focus on the need to continue exerting pressure on Russia through new sanctions, as well as relations with China," it said. 

The Spanish minister is also scheduled to visit Spanish troops stationed at the Lithuanian Air Force base in Zokniai as part of NATO's air policing mission.

The Spanish Air Force detachment with eight F-18 Hornet fighter jets took over the patrol of Baltic airspace from Poland in late March.