During their meeting, the President and the Ambassador discussed bilateral relations between Lithuania and Italy across political, economic, energy, security, and other areas.
The President underlined the importance of further cooperation in security and defense. Italy actively contributes to NATO’s enhanced forward presence in the region and NATO’s Baltic air policing mission.
Dalia Grybauskaitė stressed the need for more effective collaborative work in dealing with migration challenges, reinforcing the control of the EU’s external border and managing the return of economic migrants. The largest flows of emigrants currently arrive in Europe from Libya through Italy.
An agreement on cultural cooperation between Lithuania and Italy will soon be in place to advance more dynamic contacts. The upcoming celebration of Lithuania’s centenary offers yet another excellent opportunity to present and promote Lithuanian culture across Italy.
Ričardas Šlepavičius started his diplomatic career in 1993. He worked in Lithuanian embassies in Russia and Turkey, consulate in Kaliningrad, and served as Foreign Policy Advisor to the President. Before this appointment, he was Director of the Personnel Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
