During their meeting, the President and the new ambassador reviewed bilateral relations and economic ties between Lithuania and Iceland, the Nordic-Baltic cooperation as well as topical NATO issues.
The President underlined that Lithuania and Iceland were linked by strong bonds of friendship. She pointed out that 23 years ago Iceland stood up firmly in support of the Lithuania people's fight for independence and was the first country to recognize Lithuanian restored statehood. The two countries are now engaged in expanding their close relations and collaborative work within NATO and other international organizations. Together they are working to make the Nordic-Baltic region the fastest growing in Europe.
The President noted that the friendship between the two nations was also evidenced by the annual Thank You Iceland Festival held in Vilnius and timed for Icelandic National Day on June 17. This year it will be celebrated for the third time.
Among the other issues discussed was Europe's economic situation. Dalia Grybauskaitė said that both Lithuania and Iceland, painfully affected by the crisis, were among the first to overcome the difficulties successfully and emerge as model examples of responsible financial policies in Europe.
The President and the Ambassador also exchanged views on the ongoing preparations for the upcoming NATO summit scheduled for this coming September. Lithuania and Iceland have a shared interest of strengthening NATO's collective and smart defence through regular military exercises as well as preparing to counter cyber-attacks and energy security threats.
Ambassador Kristín Aðalbjörg Árnadóttir was born in 1957. She is a graduate of Iceland's and US universities in English, mass communication and public administration. She started her diplomatic career in 2007, serving as ambassador to China, Australia, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, and other countries of the region.
