"The issue of Ukraine and the need to implement the Minsk agreements should not be overshadowed by today's geopolitical situation and the new security challenges faced by Europe and the world. Lithuania has always supported and will continue to support the independence, freedom and territorial integrity of Ukraine. I believe that it is our duty to keep moving in the direction outlined by the Eastern Partnership and contribute to the smooth European integration of Ukraine," the Speaker of the Seimas stressed.
Mrs Graužinienė welcomed the active interparliamentary cooperation between the Seimas and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, noting that the representatives of the Seimas were regularly sharing their experience of European integration and providing strong support to Ukraine in various international formats. The Speaker of the Seimas claimed she saw obvious progress on the part of Ukraine with regard to the reforms necessary to come closer to the European Union. Mrs Graužinienė highlighted that Lithuania was ready to further provide Ukraine with the necessary technical and expert assistance.
For his part, the President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, thanked the Speaker of the Seimas for her active and genuine support for the Ukrainian people who had chosen the path of freedom and democracy. He noted that Lithuania and its people offered strong support to Ukraine on its road to Europe. "We have truth, Lithuania and God on our side," the President of Ukraine said, referring to the atmosphere of friendship that surrounded him in Lithuania.
The Speaker of the Seimas and the President of Ukraine also discussed the security situation in Ukraine and the prospects for the country's economic development. At the meeting, attention was also focused on the importance of encouraging economic cooperation between Lithuania and Ukraine. The participants went on to discuss energy security, the development of transport links, attraction of innovation, as well as cooperation in education, science and technology.
