The President underlined that Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine, still ongoing in Europe’s neighborhood, will continue to demand Europe’s unwavering unity, resolve and ability to take quick and effective decisions. Gitanas Nausėda said that negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union should start this year. He stressed that for Ukrainians fighting on the battlefield, a clear European perspective will give a fresh inspiration to continue fighting for their country.
“Despite the ongoing war, Ukraine is implementing the reforms and recommendations of the European Commission. We need to advise and assist Ukrainians to ensure that the process of euro-integration proceeds smoothly. Lithuania stands ready to share its experience and expertise,” the President said.
Gitanas Nausėda also noted that EU institutions and member states must strengthen their focus on historical memory, by stepping up the fight against Russian propaganda and attempts to rewrite history through educational programmes and remembrance of the victims of totalitarian regimes.
The President stressed the need to find a legal path as quickly as possible for the use of frozen Russian public and private funds to rebuild Ukraine. Gitanas Nausėda also stressed that the transit and export of Ukrainian grain is another urgent issue requiring a solution at EU level. According to the President, the export of grain through Baltic seaports would be an effective way to address the situation.
Gitanas Nausėda and Valdis Dombrovskis discussed the need to strengthen the resilience and competitiveness of the European Union, using both the EU’s instruments for deepening the internal market and promoting international trade.
“This summer, Lithuania submitted amendments to the recovery and resilience facility plan for additional investment in business, green, innovative and digital technologies, as well as in the production and export of high added-value products. We hope that an agreement between the Lithuanian Government and the European Commission on these amendments will be reached soon. We need to pull together and make sure that investments under the Recovery and Resilience Facility reach the Lithuanian economy and increase its performance and resilience when needed the most,” the President said.