"The United States continues to be our reliable partner. We well know the strength of its moral convictions – the United States did not recognize the occupation of the Baltic States for the entire period of fifty years. Today, when our region's security faces a real threat, the United States gives us both help and support. Such transatlantic unity is the only response to the increasingly growing aggression," the President said.
According to the President, the United States contributes with concrete actions to the security of Lithuania and the whole of the region. Several days ago, the United States confirmed that it will deploy military equipment in our country and in five other European states. Earlier, it decided to allocate 1 billion dollars in defense funding to reinforce the region's security. American troops work successfully with Lithuanian troops, taking part in joint exercises.
The President pointed out that economic relations with the United States were also of great importance. Lithuania is one of the staunchest supporters of the free trade agreement between the EU and the U.S. As much as 79 percent of the people in Lithuania approve of the deal. It will not only step up trade contacts and contribute to European and American economic growth, but will further deepen transatlantic relations, especially with newly emerging threats to European security.
The President underlined that it was very important that the United States should ease the export of energy resources to Europe, even before the free trade agreement was signed. Such a decision would not only transform the European energy market, but would also have an effect on the geopolitical situation in our region.
The meeting also focused on the situation in Ukraine which was in great need of all possible support. The Minsk agreements were not fully implemented; therefore sanctions should remain in place. Lithuania and the United States both held the same position on this issue. The President stressed that the strong stand taken by the United States was vitally important to Ukraine.
The U.S. House Speaker is expected to meet with American troops in Lithuania and to visit the LNG terminal in Klaipėda.
Taking part in the meeting with President Dalia Grybauskaitė, were also other congressmen and congresswomen: members of the Committee on Energy and Commerce John Shimkus, Greg Walden and Susan Brooks, member of the Committee on Appropriations Mike Simpson, member of the Committee on Ways and Means Mike Kelly, Member of the Committee on Financial Services Ann Wagner, and member of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology Daniel Lipinski.
The President and the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, John Boehner, has previously met in May of 2013 in Washington.
