The President emphasized that Lithuania and Albania are members of the world’s strongest collective defense alliance - NATO. Both countries share a common view of the threats to Europe’s security and collaborate to strengthen the security and resilience of the Alliance. The President thanked Albania for its contribution to enhancing NATO’s eastern flank security.
According to Gitanas Nausėda, NATO allies need to continue rapidly increasing their defense investments to reach the 3 percent target, with a particular focus on air defense. The President highlighted that the recent crash of a Russian drone in Latvia, Lithuania's neighboring country, this past weekend once again underscores the need to strengthen air defense capabilities on NATO’s eastern flank and effectively implement NATO’s rotational air defense model, agreed upon at the NATO Summit in Vilnius. The President stressed the importance of continued support for Ukraine, emphasizing that its victory is the path to lasting peace in Europe.
The President confirmed Lithuania’s support for Albania’s Euro-integration aspirations and readiness to share experience and expertise in the process of gaining EU membership.
“I firmly believe that EU enlargement in the Western Balkans will ensure stability in the region and contribute to its prosperity. Albania consistently demonstrates its commitment to European values by aligning itself with the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy, supporting its sanctions policy and taking a principled stance on Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Values bring us together in a strong European family. I believe that Albania's future lies within this family,” the President said.
This is the first visit of an Albanian leader to Lithuania since 2007.
