The Diplomat
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, received yesterday at the Moncloa Palace the President of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda, with whom he addressed, fundamentally, the next NATO Summit, which will be held in Vilnius on July 11 and 12 and will pick up the baton from the one held in Madrid in June 2022.
During the meeting, as reported by Moncloa in a press release, Pedro Sánchez conveyed to Gitanas Nausėda his support for the holding of the Summit and stressed, as regards the priorities of the Vilnius meeting, the defense of the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity and support for Ukraine after “the unjust and unjustified aggression” of the Russian President, Vladimir Putin.
For his part, as reported by the Lithuanian Presidency, Nausėda stressed the need for the upcoming Vilnius Summit to adopt decisions to further strengthen the security of NATO’s eastern flank and the Alliance as a whole because, he warned, an increased allied presence in the region is a necessary prerequisite for effective deterrence. In this regard, the Lithuanian leader stressed the importance of investing in missile and air defense for the Baltic region and the eastern flank of the Alliance and of increasing defense spending.
Also, Gitanas Nausėda thanked Spain for its contribution to the security of Lithuania and the Baltic region. “Lithuania and Spain are EU partners and NATO allies. I am delighted that our countries remain united in defending European values, supporting Ukraine and seeking peace on the continent. We are grateful to the Spanish Air Force for its continued presence in our region. We must continue to work together to strengthen the eastern flank of NATO and the Alliance as a whole,” he said.
On support for Ukraine, Nausėda noted that the speed and scope of allied assistance to Ukraine are critical to resisting Russia’s aggression and stressed the need to increase pressure on Russia through the EU sanctions policy and holding the Kremlin regime accountable for the crime of aggression. The President said that EU sanctions should also be applied to Belarus, “without exceptions”, and expressed his hope that during the Spanish Presidency of the European Union, a decision will be taken to start accession negotiations with Ukraine, in compliance with the recommendations of the European Commission.
The two leaders also discussed various European issues, just a few weeks before Spain begins to hold the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. Specifically, Sánchez and the Lithuanian leader discussed the general lines of the Presidency, such as economic governance, competitiveness, the reform of the electricity market and the Migration and Asylum Pact, among others. Likewise, the President of the Government spoke with Nauséda about the importance of open strategic autonomy and assured that this issue will be a priority during the Spanish Presidency, which will have a roadmap based on four areas: energy, health, primary sector and new technologies.
On the other hand, Gitanas Nausėda expressed his strong desire to expand and intensify bilateral economic relations, building on the achievements of both countries in renewable energies, information technologies, financial technologies, photonics and biotechnologies. “In recent years, Lithuania’s exports to Spain increased by 43% and the volume of bilateral trade grew by 24%. We should continue to strengthen business contacts and promote mutually beneficial projects,” he stated.
