The President thanked Sweden for its successful presidency of the EU Council in the first half of this year and for its efforts to mobilize support for Ukraine in its fight against the aggressor.
“For us, as Lithuanians, helping Ukraine to win is at the top of the priority list. Only Ukraine’s victory can bring peace and stability back to Europe and our region. We must help Ukraine by supplying it with the weapons it needs,” the President said, welcoming the decision to allocate additional 3.5 billion euros to the European Peace Facility.
Gitanas Nausėda underlined the importance of EU sanctions against Russia and welcomed the agreement reached the day before by EU ambassadors in Brussels on the 11th sanctions package.
“For sanctions to work effectively, we call for eliminating all exceptions that only create loopholes,” the President said, urging to already start thinking about the 12th package of sanctions to include Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy company Rosatom.
The President once again called on EU countries to push for the establishment of an international tribunal to investigate the crime of aggression and to use Russia’s frozen funds in EU countries for the reconstruction of Ukraine after the war. He also highlighted the need to place a stronger focus on European historical memory in order to counter Russian disinformation and propaganda.
Gitanas Nausėda briefed EU ambassadors on Lithuania’s support for the Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine.
“The start of EU negotiations already this year would send a positive signal to Ukraine,” the President said, adding that Moldova’s efforts to implement reforms, as well as the commitment of Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, and North Macedonia to fully align with the EU common foreign and security policy, also deserve positive assessment.
Gitanas Nausėda addressed illegal migration by pointing out that although the current situation at Lithuania’s and the EU’s external borders is stable, the Belarusian regime's potential instrumentalization of migrants continues to pose a threat. Therefore, EU action is needed to adjust the existing legal framework on migration and to continue working with countries of origin and transit.
On the economic front, the President underlined the need to strengthen the EU’s competitiveness by continuing to pursue energy independence and deepen the single market, in particular by removing barriers to the movement of services and creating robust supply chains. Gitanas Nausėda expressed hope that the synchronization of the Baltic electricity grids with continental Europe would be completed by spring 2024 at the latest.
Speaking about the multiannual financial framework's mid-term review, the President said that it must be targeted and focused on support for Ukraine and the challenges caused by Russia’s war, including illegal migration, border protection, military mobility, and war refugees. In addition, adequate flexibility must be maintained to respond to possible new challenges.
The President also informed the EU ambassadors of Lithuania’s ambition to host an anti-money-laundering agency in Vilnius. Gitanas Nausėda wished good luck to Spain which will soon take over the Presidency of the EU Council.
