Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė has taken part in the European People’s Party (EPP) meeting ahead of the European Council to exchange country experiences in managing the COVID-19 pandemic. Special attention has been paid to vaccination process and vaccine efficacy. The meeting has been held in preparation of the European Council meeting on 25-26 February.

President Gitanas Nausėda participated in a video conference of the members of the European Council held to address the challenges of vaccine production and supply. The President expressed hope that EU institutions, together with member states, will search for comprehensive solutions to boost vaccine production.

Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė has held a video call with Finland’s Ambassador to Lithuania Arja Inkeri Makkonen to discuss the bilateral cooperation.

It states that Europe continues to face challenges due to insufficient vaccine supplies and production difficulties. “The emergence of new COVID variants jeopardizes our path to full recovery and normal life,” the letter says.

President Gitanas Nausėda participated in a remote preparatory European Council meeting held ahead of the video conference of members of the European Council scheduled for 25-26 February 2021. The meeting with representatives of Bulgaria, Malta, Lithuania, Croatia, the Netherlands and Sweden, which focused on the challenges of vaccine supply, was chaired by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel.

President Gitanas Nausėda participated online in the high-level segment of the 46th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. In his video address to world leaders, the President set forth Lithuania’s priorities in running for a seat on the Human Rights Council for 2022-2024.

On February 18 NATO Defence Ministers discussed the NATO Mission Iraq (NMI) and agreed to continue the close monitoring and assessment of the situation in Afghanistan.

MEPs will debate the Covid-19 crisis and recovery with members of national pariaments, discuss vaccine production and vote on a strategy for tourism.

Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė has had a remote conversation with Ambassador of Spain José María Robles Fraga, and has discussed challenges posed by the pandemic as well as the development of bilateral relations.

Minister of National Defence Arvydas Anušauskas is attending the NATO Defence Ministers Meeting held on February 17 –18 to address NATO‘s most topical issues. In the session of February 17 the NATO Ministers focussed on enhancing NATO deterrence and defence and fairer burden sharing.