Senator Deborah O’Neill and Senator James Paterson were appointed as co-chairs at the previous inaugural meeting. 42 Australian parliamentarians and senators have joined the group so far.
The event was attended by the group’s chairs, members, and the Ambassadors of the Baltic states to Australia. Guests from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade were also present.
The participants of the event were also greeted by the Member of the Seimas, Head of the Group for Inter-Parliamentary Relations with the Countries of Australia, New Zealand and Oceania Andrius Vyšniauskas, as well as representatives of Latvian and Estonian Parliaments.
“We have gathered here at a symbolic time for the Baltic states, which are commemorating the beginning of mass deportations of their population. We will not be able to erase this painful memory and we will pass it down to future generations. We can see how far we have gone to liberate ourselves from this brutal regime. We are extremely grateful to the countries that recognized our country when we needed it. And they hear us again when the same regime is attacking our region anew,” said the Ambassador of Lithuania Darius Degutis.
The chair of the group Senator Deborah O’Neill expressed her condolences to the Baltic states on the anniversary of mass deportations and thanked them for their leadership in supporting Ukraine.
Senator James Paterson welcomed the group’s establishment. He noted that this decision was timely because of the countries’ strong position and support for Ukraine.
Degutis spoke about the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius and voiced his gladness that the Prime Minister of Australia would visit Lithuania for the first time ever.
“Lithuania supports Ukraine’s accession to NATO, and our region’s position on this issue is clear,” Degutis said, thanking Australia for its recent military support to Ukraine.
Members of the Baltic group expressed a wish to visit the Baltic states after the NATO summit and establish closer relations with the region. Australians said they felt indebted to Ukraine and hoped that with the help of our region, they could increase their support.
The Embassy of Lithuania to Australia was officially opened on 9 February 2022, during the official visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Gabrielius Landsbergis. Although the Embassy functions only for the second year, it has paid particular attention to improving and developing bilateral economic relations during this period. Its activities have resulted in the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) opening a new Trade and Investment office in Vilnius on 9 February 2023. It is the 10th European office of this type. In addition, the Australian Lithuanian Business Council was launched. Negotiations for a Double Taxation Agreement are expected to be finalized later this year. Moreover, Australia and the European Union hope to conclude the Free Trade Agreement in 2023.
