‘What hampers the vaccination process here in Lithuania is basically insufficient supply. The meeting of the Baltic Council of Ministers agreed that instead of storing the unused vaccines in the European Union, they should rather be temporarily lent to those countries that have no stocks. It is also key to have a single EU communication on the safety and efficacy of the vaccines. A chaotic wave of halts on the rollout of AstraZeneca in the EU has left a deep dent in the reputation of vaccination ‘, said the Prime Minister.
On the priorities of the Swedish and Lithuanian Governments, it has been noted that they have much in common: the green deal, human rights and gender equality, and democratic progress. According to Ingrida Šimonytė, more efforts should be taken to encourage people-to-people contacts and cultural exchanges while building on the shared history.
The tensions in the region and the biggest security challenge posed by Russia to the region and to the entire Euro-Atlantic community have also been discussed.
The Prime Minister has brought up the issue of the Astravyets nuclear power plant - this project is dominated by political interests that overshadow the arguments of nuclear safety and environmental protection, neglecting the right to safe environment of the people of Belarus and neighbouring countries. It is crucial to maintain a common European stance regarding the condemnation of the regime, its isolation and liability for its crimes.
