The President thanked the delegation for their long-standing work in developing bilateral relations between Lithuania and Ukraine and underlined that cooperation ties have grown stronger in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“We have welcomed more than 80,000 refugees from Ukraine in Lithuania. Many of them have found a home and work here. I am glad that during your visit you will have the opportunity to learn more about the Ukrainian Center, established on the initiative of the First Ladies of Lithuania and Ukraine in Vilnius. Its activities reflect the united efforts of all Lithuania,” the President said.
Gitanas Nausėda emphasized that politicians need to mobilize political support for Ukraine and assured that Lithuania has been consistently urging its allies to increase and accelerate military assistance to Ukraine. “Ukraine must get what it needs on the battlefield. The strategic goal of the West must be Ukraine’s victory. Otherwise, the threats posed by Russia to both our region and the countries of Eastern Neighborhood will grow and expand,” the President said.
According to Gitanas Nausėda, Ukraine belongs in the European Union family and in NATO. The President said that it is important for Ukraine to use the window of opportunity for a positive decision to be taken before the end of the year on launching EU accession negotiations. A prerequisite for this is to implement the reforms specified by the Commission in its opinion on Ukraine’s application for EU membership. The role of parliament in delivering the necessary reforms is crucial, the President said. He called for continued robust efforts to have key initiatives approved, with special focus on fighting corruption and money laundering.
The Interparliamentary Group for Friendship with Lithuania of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine was established in 2019 and is co-chaired by Ihor Huz and Yuliia Ovchynnykova. Members of the Group work to strengthen contacts between Lithuanian and Ukrainian municipalities, promote collaboration and partnership between cities, address pressing issues of Ukraine’s development, engage in launching joint cultural and infrastructure projects, support Ukrainians who have found refuge in Lithuania during wartime, and engage in humanitarian activities with the Lithuanian Interparliamentary Friendship Group.