The officials exchanged views on the situation in Lithuania and in Israel’s neighbourhood, discussed items on the international agenda, including the conflict in Syria, Iran, and the Middle East peace process. They noted that due to the complex geopolitical situation, both countries were facing security challenges that necessitated looking for an appropriate response.
Linkevičius stressed that ensuring Lithuania’s security interests in the face of Russian threat was significant for Israel’s security. The Lithuanian-Israeli security cooperation is especially meaningful in response to the new threats and changing environment.
In the meeting, Lithuania’s Foreign Minister welcomed the country’s strong and friendly relations with Israel. This year, Lithuania and Israel mark the important 25th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. The meeting also discussed planned bilateral visits and cooperation within international organizations in the near future. Linkevičius assured that Lithuania had was and would remain one of the strongest supporters of Israel in the European Union.
During the visit to Lithuania, the guest from Israel visited the Seimas (Parliament) of Lithuania, met with the Chief Foreign Policy Advisor to the President of Lithuania Nerijus Aleksiejūnas, the Advisor to the Prime Minister Arnoldas Pikžirnis, and delivered a lecture on Israeli foreign policy at the Institute of International Relations and Political Science of Vilnius University.
Oren is an Israeli politician and diplomat, who served as Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S.A. from 2009 to 2013. Oren was a Professor at Harvard and Yale universities. He is the author of the New York Times best-sellers “Power, Faith and Fantasy” and “Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East”. Oren is a Litvak who has Lithuanian roots. His family originates from Anykščiai.
