In his address, the President emphasized that in the context of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ties between Europe and Southeast Asia are valuable and important. According to Gitanas Nausėda, Europe and Southeast Asia are united by respect for the rules-based international order and the principles of multilateralism.
“The consequences of Russia’s war in Ukraine are being felt around the world. This is not a local conflict somewhere far away—it is a war in Europe with global implications. The international community should not remain indifferent to the fact that Russia, a member of the United Nations Security Council, is committing genocide against Ukrainians,” the President underlined.
President Gitanas Nausėda stressed that the principled stance of the Southeast Asian countries towards Russia’s war in Ukraine—condemnation of Russia’s actions and demanding responsibility—was of utmost importance.
In his statement, the President also pointed out that it was necessary to reduce dependence on Russia’s energy resources, as the Kremlin was using them as a tool of political blackmail and the profit it was making to finance the war in Ukraine.
“If you have received a cheaper gas offer from the Kremlin, don’t be misled, it is yet another attempt to gain leverage for political blackmail. Any energy cooperation with an aggressor is dangerous. We need to move towards diversification of energy sources and green energy. Lithuania is ready to share its experience in the development of LNG projects,” the President pointed out.
