Prime Minister hosts first visit from Andorran counterpart
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė has met with Prime Minister Xavier Espot Zamora of Andorra to discuss bilateral cooperation, regional security, and other matters of interest to both countries. This has been the first visit of an Andorran Head of Government to Lithuania in the history of the bilateral relations.
‘We welcome this visit as a new chapter in our bilateral relations, as well as the finalization of the negotiations on the Association Agreement between Andorra and the European Union - cooperation between like-minded democracies is now more important than ever. We are very grateful for Andorra’s financial support towards Lithuania’s school renovation project in Ukraine, which gives hope for a brighter future to those suffering from the war and is already helping them practically to cope with the great challenges of reconstruction,’ said Prime Minister Šimonytė.
The Head of Government has thanked the Prime Minister of Andorra for the country’s principled stance in the face of Russia’s war against Ukraine and for joining the EU sanctions against the aggressor.
‘We need to look for new pressure points on Russia through sanctions, ensure proper implementation of the existing measures, remain patient and steadfast in our confidence regarding the effectiveness of the sanctions, despite Russia’s attempts to persuade us otherwise,’ the Prime Minister said. Utilizing Russia’s frozen assets for Ukrainian purposes is imperative and would represent a logical next step for sanctions.
A world in which borders change through brutal force poses grave dangers for all nations, particularly smaller ones, she added.
On closer cooperation between Andorra and the EU, the Prime Minister has welcomed the finalisation of the negotiations on the Association Agreement, underlining the benefits of collective cooperation amidst security challenges, as well as other pressing issues like climate change and pandemic response.
The counterparts have also discussed the economic situation and other relevant issues, also the development of bilateral relations between Lithuania and Andorra.
After the meeting, Lithuania’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Gabrielius Landsbergis, and Andorra’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Imma Tor Faus, signed two bilateral agreements: the Agreement between the Republic of Lithuania and the Principality of Andorra for the Elimination of Double Taxation with Respect to Taxes on Income and on Capital and the Prevention of Tax Evasion and Avoidance, and the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Andorra on the Targeted Contribution to the Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid Fund.
Through the latter, Andorra will contribute EUR 15,000 for the renovation of a school in Snihurivka (Mykolaiv region of Ukraine), a project implemented by Lithuania.
After the meeting of the Prime Ministers and delegations, the Prime Minister of Andorra visited the National Crisis Management Centre, where Chancellor of the Government, Giedrė Balčytytė, briefed the visitors on Centre’s operations and roles, as well as Lithuania’s experience in the prevention of hybrid threats and in the management of emergencies and crisis situations.
