Prime Minister welcomed the participants of the International Anti-Corruption Conference in Vilnius
Fight against the ever-evolving corruption cannot be waged alone, but requires the concerted efforts of the international community united by democratic values, said the Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė at the International Anti-Corruption Conference in Vilnius on Wednesday.
The 21st International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) has brought together national leaders, civil society and private sector executives from more than 140 countries around the world in Vilnius to discuss the challenges of corruption and future prospects. The theme of the conference of this year, emphasised in the opening speech of the Prime Minister, is "Confronting global threats while maintaining transparency".
"Today, as the democratic world faces the unprecedented third year of active Russia's brutal war against Ukraine, we are witnessing the growing desire of authoritarian regimes to dominate and trample the rule of law. We are facing an increasing use of force and hybrid attacks in various areas, including information, cyberspace, energy, climate, and even food and migration. In Lithuania, we have long understood that under-investment in our national security poses huge risks. Freedom and security are more important than short-term economic gains or an easier path. Lithuania's painful history has taught us that. Corruption is one of the most dangerous social phenomena, threatening democracy, human rights, and undermining trust in public authorities", said the Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė.
Corruption is a complex, multi-layered problem that can only be tackled by everyone working together, the Prime Minister said, and democracies have measures in place to ensure that institutions and different groups of society are involved in creating an anti-corruption environment.
"Corruption in the global world, unfortunately, is constantly evolving, and our efforts must be united not only internally, but also within the international community that shares our democratic values," said the Head of Government.
The conference takes place in Vilnius on 18-21 June. Participants include politicians, experts, representatives of non-profit organisations, academics and business leaders.