Addressing the diplomats, the Head of State pointed out that the international situation is rapidly worsening, the world is becoming more and more unstable, and international law and diplomacy are increasingly being replaced by brutal force. According to the President, the number of hotbeds of aggression and military conflicts has been on the rise, and the element of the unexpected has come to dominate the international processes. Gitanas Nausėda stressed that these trends pose even greater challenges for Lithuania and its diplomatic posture in the world, which is why the diplomatic service needs to be prepared to operate in this geopolitical uncertainty.
According to President Gitanas Nausėda, new conflicts breaking out in various parts of the world are diverting the attention of the international community away from Russia’s war in Ukraine and, more generally, from Russia’s aggressive ambitions in foreign policy.
“Ukraine has been, is and will be of existential importance to us. And all efforts of the diplomatic service must focus on this priority. No matter what happens, we cannot give in to war fatigue. We need to continue to consistently mobilize comprehensive international support for Ukraine, to raise the issue of Russia’s accountability for its aggression and war crimes, and to keep Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic dimension on the international agenda,” Gitanas Nausėda added.
In his address, the President stressed the importance of fostering transatlantic ties and the effective functioning within NATO and the EU, as well as the need to work together with allies and partners to defend democratic values and the rules-based international order. The Head of State thanked the diplomats who contributed to the successful organization of the NATO Summit in Vilnius and underlined that it is now essential to focus on the implementation of the major decisions taken in Vilnius and to start active preparations for the NATO Summit in Washington.
President Gitanas Nausėda also underlined that the diplomatic service today more than ever needs to act in a concerted, wise, and prudent manner.
