An important meeting with the Baltic Caucus of the US House of Representatives was also held during the visit. The meeting with senator Mich McConnell, Senate Majority Leader, was also attended by senators Dick Durbin, Ben Cardin, John McCain, Bob Menendez, Joni Ernst, Chris Coons, and Chris Murphy. Senator McConnell underlined the strong support to the Baltic States as NATO partners on the part of the leadership of the US Senate and the entire US Congress, including both the Republicans and the Democrats, and the leadership of all the Committees. During the meeting, emphasis was placed on the need to preserve the capabilities of the world’s largest defence alliance to protect the fundamental principles of democracy. The national commitment to allocate two percent of GDP for defence purposes should be fulfilled, the participants said. In response to this, the parliamentarians from Lithuania and other Baltic States ensured their counterparts that all the Baltic States would meet the commitment by the end of 2018.
At the meeting, while emphasising the independence and strength of the US Congress and its engagement in foreign policy, the senators underlined their readiness to actively participate in actions to stop Russia’s aggression, increase the US military presence and engagement in Europe, enhance the fight against hybrid and cyber threats, and step up the capacities for adequately addressing propaganda. The meetings separately discussed prevention of Russia’s aggression against other countries, the situation in Ukraine, and the need to maintain and further continue sanctions against Russia.
Gediminas Kirkilas, Head of the Delegation of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, reaffirmed that the newly elected Seimas and the new government would continue stepping up the strategic cooperation with the United States and all NATO partners, would honour their obligations, would be a reliable partner and would do their homework in all areas, including the military sector, energy, economy, and the field of increasing social resilience to hybrid threats.
During the visit, Members of the Seimas gave an interview to The Voice of America as well as the Ukrainian and Russian news services. They also took part in discussions with experts from think tanks, including the McCain Institute, the Atlantic Council, the Heritage Foundation and the Centre for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), talked to members of the Lithuanian-American Community, the American-Lithuanian Business Council, and answered the questions of journalists from the National Press Club.
