News

Political consultations between the Lithuanian and Turkish Ministries of Foreign Affairs took place in Ankara on 30 October to discuss bilateral ties, EU- Türkiye relations, and the European security situation. Delegations were led by the Vice-Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Sigitas Mitkus, and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mehmet Kemal Bozay.

Mitkus highlighted the need to strengthen the international community's support for Ukraine, consistently and decisively implement measures to stop the financing of Russia's war machine, tighten sanctions, prevent their circumvention, and diversify energy sources.

The Vice-Minister thanked Türkiye for its contribution to the security of NATO's eastern flank, including the recent deployment of an AWACS surveillance aircraft in Lithuania.

"This is a real and concrete sign of solidarity among NATO countries," Mitkus said. He urged Türkiye to continue contributing to the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission.

The meeting also discussed the most pressing items on the bilateral agenda - cooperation in the areas of trade, tourism, energy, transport, and opportunities to strengthen defence industrial cooperation. The Vice-Minister informed Turkish representatives about particularly favourable investment conditions in Lithuania, noting that defence industry manufacturers can start operations in Lithuania in just six months.

In the context of the EU- Türkiye relations, Mitkus underlined Lithuania's support for Türkiye‘s strategic aspirations for EU membership. Turkish colleagues were informed about Lithuania's readiness to hold the Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2027.

During the visit, representatives of the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also visited a technology hub - Cyberpark at Bilkent University in Ankara - and discussed the EU- Türkiye relations and other relevant international policy issues with Turkish foreign policy experts.