Japan’s Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, plans to meet with Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, in Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, on 12 July 2023, The Japan Times reports. The meeting is set to take place on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Vilnius, government sources said. Kishida is expected to convey Japan’s readiness to increase support for…
NATO member states have decided to drop the requirement for a Membership Action Plan (MAP) for Ukraine on its path to NATO membership, Lithuania’s President, Gitanas Nauseda, confirmed, Ukrainska Pravda reports. This was earlier announced by Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba. Nauseda noted that the move would simplify Ukraine’s NATO accession process. He stressed that…
Latvia’s President, Edgars Rinkevics, met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Riga, LETA reports. The two officials discussed the NATO summit in Vilnius, support for Ukraine, the situation in Belarus and Russia, and bilateral economic cooperation. Rinkevics expressed Latvia’s wish for Canada to expand its military presence in Latvia. Canada leads the NATO enhanced…
NATO allies agree that Ukraine will become a member of the defence alliance, but first it must win the war against Russia, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated, LRT reports. Speaking after a meeting with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda in Vilnius, Stoltenberg said that it was “too early to talk about concrete decisions and concrete…
Canada’s first ambassador to Lithuania, Jeanette Sautner, has taken office on 10 July 2023 after presenting her diplomatic credentials to President Gitanas Nauseda, BNS reports. Nauseda said that the opening of the Canadian embassy in Vilnius would open new opportunities to further strengthen bilateral relations. He thanked Canada for its contribution to strengthening the security…
NATO leaders and delegations have begun gathering in Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, for the defence alliance’s summit due to take place on 11-12 July 2023, BNS reports. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda will meet with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the summit venue, the Lithuanian Exhibition and Congress Centre (LITEXPO), on 10 July 2023. Also, Nauseda…
The three biggest risks to Lithuania’s financial system are the consequences of the war in Ukraine, the state of the economy, and cyber attacks, according to the Bank of Lithuania’s survey, ELTA reports. The risk of cyber attacks has increased significantly, the central bank noted. Dovydas Poderys, senior economist at the Bank of Lithuania, said…
Latvia’s new president, Edgars Rinkevics, held his inauguration speech in the Latvian parliament, the Saeima, outlining his vision of a “strong, modern, just, and safe” Latvia, on 8 July 2023, LSM reports. The President noted that Latvia was one, yet not homogenous, and stressed that the rights of every person must be protected. Latvia’s biggest…
The speakers of national parliaments of the Baltic States, Poland, and Ukraine will meet in Latvia’s capital, Riga, on 9-10 July 2023, LSM reports. The speakers will discuss political and practical assistance to Ukraine, including support for the country’s membership of the EU and NATO. The speakers plan to adopt a joint statement at the…