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On 17 September, during a working visit to Washington, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Kęstutis Budrys met with United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The officials discussed the priorities of the Lithuanian-U.S. strategic partnership, the security situation in the region, support for Ukraine, and opportunities to expand bilateral cooperation in the economic and technological spheres.

The head of Lithuania's diplomacy highlighted Lithuania’s growing contribution to NATO’s collective defense and the strengthening of regional security. The Minister emphasized that the U.S. military presence in Lithuania remains one of the most important elements of deterrence in the region.

“The strategic partnership between Lithuania and the U.S. is one of the cornerstones of our foreign and security policy. We appreciate the U.S.’s strong commitment to security in Europe and the Baltic region,” said Budrys.

The Minister also noted that Lithuania is consistently increasing its host nation support for the allies and is prepared to provide the best possible conditions for U.S. forces deployed in Lithuania.

“The U.S. military presence in Lithuania is a key deterrent. Lithuania will continue to invest in host nation support so that allied forces have the best conditions to carry out their mission,” the Minister said.

Budrys and Rubio devoted considerable attention to discussing the security situation in the region and Russia’s increasingly aggressive actions. They also discussed U.S. diplomatic efforts to achieve a just and sustainable peace in Ukraine. The Minister emphasized that strong transatlantic unity is essential for achieving long-term and sustainable peace, and that Ukraine’s security remains a shared interest of Ukraine, Europe, and the United States. Budrys and Rubio also discussed the situation in the Middle East. The Minister emphasized that Lithuania supports efforts to unblock the Strait of Hormuz and ensure safe navigation.

The Minister and the Secretary of State also discussed ways to strengthen economic security and resilience to geopolitical and economic risks. They paid particular attention to supply chains for critical raw materials and advanced technologies. Budrys emphasized that the agreement between Lithuania and the U.S. on critical minerals will further strengthen the countries’ strategic cooperation in the field of economic security.

“The critical minerals partnership opens up new opportunities to strengthen cooperation between Lithuania and the U.S. in strategic sectors and to create safer and more resilient supply chains for advanced technologies,” the Minister said.

In presenting Lithuania’s intention to join the “Pax Silica” declaration, the Minister highlighted the country’s readiness to actively contribute to the creation of resilient supply chains for critical raw materials and advanced technologies.

“We aim for Lithuania to be a reliable partner of the United States not only in the field of defense but also in economic security—by strengthening cooperation on critical raw materials, advanced technologies, and resilient supply chains,” noted Budrys.

During the meeting, the Minister also presented the priorities of Lithuania’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. He highlighted the goal of strengthening transatlantic ties and ensuring that EU-U.S. cooperation is constructive, focused on practical results, and grounded in shared security and economic interests.