Prime Minister: Lithuania and the Czech Republic Are Allies With Like-minded Views on Key Issues
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė met with the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Czech Republic, Marketa Pekarova Adamova, who is visiting Lithuania. The meeting focused on the security situation in the region and in Europe, support for Ukraine, the resilience of democracies and the need to reduce economic and other dependencies on authoritarian regimes, and bilateral cooperation between Lithuania and the Czech Republic.
"As allies and like-minded partners on the most important issues, Lithuania and the Czech Republic have no hesitation about the importance of strengthening our own security and defence, as well as of continuing and stepping up our support for Ukraine, and of helping it to win, which is indispensable to ensure that Putin does not even think about any new target in Europe," said Prime Minister Šimonytė.
The important Czech initiative on the purchase of ammunition for Ukraine, joined by Lithuania, is a great proof that we can do this by looking for ways to strengthen our support, the Prime Minister said.
As Russia seeks to intimidate the societies of the countries that support Ukraine, as it continues its hybrid aggression, and as it plans and executes more and more audacious kinetic attacks, including on NATO territory, it is important that we cooperate with each other and that we resolutely step up our support for the Ukrainian people, the Head of the Lithuanian Government added.
The meeting also highlighted the importance of the resilience of democracies, the strategic diversification of economic ties, and the need to strengthen and broaden ties between like-minded countries that recognise the rules-based international order, the rule of law and democracy.
This is particularly important in the face of growing cooperation between authoritarian regimes and their modus operandi, including economic coercion.
At the meeting, the Prime Minister also thanked the Czech Republic for its involvement in the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group Lithuania, as well as its participation in the Baltic Air Policing Mission.