The President and the new Ambassador discussed Lithuania’s interests in the European Union, especially in these difficult days for European and global security, in stopping Russian aggression and mobilizing assistance to Ukraine.
During the meeting, the President said that we had to build and strengthen effective coalitions of the member states, seek to ensure the support of EU institutions, especially the European Commission and the European Parliament, on EU policy issues that are important to Lithuania.
The President emphasized the need to place particular emphasis on the Eastern Partnership policy, Europe’s historical memory, climate change, innovation, the EU’s internal market as well as on increasing the resilience of Lithuanian and EU industry and on security, including the fight against illegal migration and the unsafe Ostrovets nuclear power plant. We must work to ensure that Ukraine is granted EU candidate status and a clear prospect of EU membership as soon as possible.
Gitanas Nausėda also noted that it was necessary to improve Lithuania’s participation in the EU- administered programmes: development cooperation, neighborhood policy, the European Horizon, military mobility, and other. “It is particularly important to follow the latest trends in science and innovation and to seek to ensure that Lithuanian representatives actively participate in the most advanced European projects,” the President said.
Arnoldas Pranckevičius worked as Advisor to President Valdas Adamkus in 2004–2005, as Diplomatic Adviser to European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek in 2009-2012 and as Foreign Policy Adviser to European Parliament President Martin Schulz in 2012-2016. In 2016-2020, Arnoldas Pranckevičius was Head of the Representation of the European Commission in Lithuania. In 2021, he became Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania.