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On 9 March in Washington D.C., Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry discussed strategic partnership between the two countries.

“We are very grateful for the strategic partnership with the United States, which contributes to the security of Lithuania and the whole region. We need to have more leadership of the United States in implementing NATO Summit decisions taken in Wales, and in containing Russia’s aggression in Ukraine,” said the Foreign Minister.

Support for Ukraine, implementation of Minsk agreements, energy and informational security  and agenda priorities of the United Nations Security Council were discussed at the meeting.

Kerry thanked Lithuania for significant contribution to international security, for efforts to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He has reiterated that the United States’ obligations of Article 5 were firm and solid.

“We respect Lithuania’s key achievements during the period of independence and assure you that the United States continues to be your friend,” said Kerry noting that his country would continue to work with Lithuania as its partner.

“It is symbolic that our meeting takes place on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the restoration of Lithuania’s independence. It presents an excellent opportunity for us to express our gratitude to the United States for the policy of non-recognition of Soviet occupation and for staunch support during our accession to NATO,” said the Minister.

Linkevičius stressed that the U.S. support in the country’s accession process to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) was also very important for Lithuania.

Lithuania’s Foreign Minister presented Kerry with a T-shirt imprinted “One Spirit, One Team, One Mission” and Kerry’s name and number 68 on the other side (Kerry was sworn in as the 68th Secretary of State of the United States).

During the visit, Lithuania’s Foreign Minister also met with Mike Carpenter, advisor to Vice President of the United States Joe Biden, and Karen Donfried, President of the German Marshall Fund of the United States. They discussed European security and situation in Ukraine.

Photo: Ludo Segers.