The President noted that Lithuania and Malta are celebrating thirty years of diplomatic relations and twenty years of membership in the European Union. “This provides a solid platform to further develop and strengthen our bilateral relations and to continue our close cooperation in multilateral formats,” the President said.
The President stressed that the positive dynamics of bilateral relations between Lithuania and Malta demonstrate the existing potential for economic cooperation, especially in the fields of information and financial technologies, life sciences, green energy, tourism, and culture.
According to Gitanas Nausėda, Lithuania and Malta have always stood for maintaining the agreed international order and effective multilateralism. The President welcomed Malta’s determination to uphold the principles of the UN Charter and international law as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, which will assume its presidency in April.
The President stressed that two years after the outbreak of Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, it is important to remain united in support of Ukraine. “We must support Ukraine until victory by providing the necessary financial, military and humanitarian assistance, by strengthening sanctions against Russia and its accomplice Belarus, by holding the aggressor Russia accountable for its crimes of war and aggression, and by using Russia’s frozen assets to rebuild Ukraine,” the President said.
The meeting also focused on cooperation between Lithuania and Malta in the European Union, especially on EU enlargement, the protection of its external borders and the fight against illegal migration. “We appreciate the assistance provided by the Malta Government to Lithuania in countering a hybrid attack organized by the Belarusian regime in 2021-2022. As Lithuania faces continued pressure on the EU’s eastern border, we support your efforts to secure its southern border,” the President said.
“Last December, we took historic decisions by inviting Ukraine and Moldova to start negotiations on accession to the European Union,” said the President, underlining the need to complete the process of European unification by welcoming new members and thus expanding the space of freedom, democracy and the rule of law.
